Policewoman addresses Minister Şimşek in Kurdish

BATMAN - Doğan News Agency

Policewoman Bahar Gönen (L) greets Minister Şimşek (R) in Kurdish during a program. DHA photo

A police officer greeted Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek in Kurdish during a stage program organized by the police department in the southeastern province of Batman Feb. 16, to provide aid for students from the quake–stricken city of Van.

“Dear Sir and esteemed guests, welcome. Today, 1,200 students from Van are in our Batman province. The Batman Police [Department] has prepared a pro–bono program with these students from Van,” police officer Bahar Gönen, herself a native of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, told Minister Şimşek and the rest of the audience in Kurdish. The speech was greeted with a big round of applause from the audience, according to reports.

The project, entitled “Extend a Hand for My Shaken Heart,” featured a performances and sketches put on stage by students from Van who are currently residing in Batman. Over 600 were killed and thousands were rendered homeless last year in Van, in the wake of a 7.2 magnitude quake.