Twelve detained in connection with murder of Kurdish man in Istanbul

ERBIL — Twelve people have been detained in connection with the murder of Hakim Goran, a Kurdish man from Duhok, Iraq, who was fatally stabbed in Istanbul 11 days ago. Among those arrested, three are suspected of direct involvement in the attack, with one identified as the main perpetrator, according to family members.

Hakim Luqman, from the Duhok governorate in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, was reportedly attacked by a group of 12 Turkish people in Istanbul on Sept. 1, allegedly for speaking Kurdish. However, Cevdet Yılmaz, Turkey’s deputy president, said in a statement, “Preliminary investigations suggest the incident was not related to him speaking Kurdish but was due to another altercation.”

The day after the attack, Luqman’s body was repatriated to the Kurdistan Region befoere being laid to rest in the Kalakchi sub-district of Shekhan district. Family members, including Ekrem Nesrulla Temmo, have been working with Turkish and Iraqi officials in Ankara to ensure justice for Luqman. “We were reassured by all senior officials that my relative’s killers would receive the strictest punishment,” Temmo told 964media.

Temmo expressed frustration with the Kurdistan Regional Government, saying, “The KRG did nothing for us; we have managed everything on our own.”

As the investigation progresses, the family is awaiting the forensic report, expected to be released within six months, which will assist in the prosecution of those responsible for Goran’s death.

Despite official statements, Luqman’s family continues to believe he was targeted for speaking Kurdish and insists that his death not be overlooked.

On Sept. 3, Anil Bora Inan, Turkey’s new ambassador to Iraq, met with Masoud Barzani in Erbil and said that “authorities have completed a comprehensive investigation into the incident and have implemented all requisite legal actions. All individuals suspected of involvement have been apprehended and will assuredly be subjected to legal penalties in accordance with the law.”

In a separate incident on May 14, a Kurdish family from Erbil was attacked in the southern Turkish city of Mersin, resulting in serious injuries to two family members.