During Sunday’s Newroz celebrations in Kocaeli, Turkish police confiscated an Amedspor jersey from a child, alleging it resembled a “YPG uniform,” triggering a seizure in the girl with Down syndrome.

The Turkish police’s reaction to Amedspor stems from its association with Kurdish identity, as the club is based in Diyarbakir (Amed), a predominantly Kurdish region.

The festivities turned sour as police showed intolerance towards yellow, red and green colours, barring attendees from entering with attire and belongings of these hues.

The situation escalated when police obstructed the child, who has Down syndrome and epilepsy, from entering the area wearing an Amedspor jersey. Officers confiscated it, leading to the child experiencing an epileptic seizure. Despite bystanders intervening and the child being rushed to the hospital by ambulance, police were observed laughing during the crisis.

Furthermore, police threatened to detain the child’s family and witnesses protesting against the jersey’s confiscation.

Members of the People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, including MPs Çiçek Otlu and Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, questioned the police about the incident. Initially citing the jersey’s resemblance to a “YPG uniform,” the police later denied making the connection or even confiscating the jersey.