Outrage in Turkey as man killed in fight over music during prayers

A man was killed in Ankara after a fight over loud music played during the call to prayer, but the governor denied claims that it was because he was listening to Kurdish music. The murder in the national capital triggered outrage online and controversy in the media as it was portrayed as a hate crime against a Kurdish man.

The Ankara governor's office said in a statement on Monday that the victim was stabbed on Sunday after getting into a fight with three men who were blaring music from their car during the call to prayer. He was identified as Baris Cakan by state news agency Anadolu.

The suspects were taken into custody, said the governor's statement, which also had an account from a friend of the victim who was with him at the time.

The fight did not take place over Kurdish music, the governor made clear, criticising the false claims circulating on social media.

Yet, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) insisted Cakan was "stabbed in the heart for listening to Kurdish music, in Ankara." It criticised the "racist mindset ... nourished by AKP government policies targeting Kurdish language everywhere," referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party.

"We will continue to sing our songs against this mindset & stand with the oppressed," it added.

The victim's father, Nihat Cakan, said his son was attacked by three people when he and a friend asked them to lower the volume as the call to prayer had started, Anadolu reported.    (dpa)