Hakim Lokman from Duhok died in a knife attack in Istanbul because he spoke Kurdish.

The racist attack took place last night in the Aksaray neighbourhood of Fatih district. 45-year-old Lokman was attacked by a group of 10-12 people and died on the spot.

Lokman’s cousins Saet Muhsin and Şêx Bilal were also injured in the attack while the attacking group fled the scene. Lokman's body was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution for autopsy.

Lawyer Berivan Barin, a member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), stated that the attack started when Lokman and his cousins were disturbed while speaking in Kurdish. The lawyer added that the injured victims who went to the police station after the incident were ill-treated.

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan condemned the attack in a statement on social media and emphasised that the divisive policies of the government lie behind such attacks. Bakırhan stated that the increasing hate speech against the Kurdish people triggered such incidents.