Haberler      English      العربية      Pусский      Kurdî      Türkçe
  En.Haberler.Com - Latest News
SEARCH IN NEWS:
  HOME PAGE 29/03/2024 02:39 
News  > 

Elvan Family Appalled By New Taksim Barracks Plans

21.11.2014 18:55

Sami Elvan, the father of Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head by a tear gas canister during last year's Gezi Park protests and later died after nine months in a coma, has said the family suffered a huge loss with Berkin's death, adding that no one else should have to pay such a price if the government continues to push for construction on İstanbul's Gezi Park. The recent revelation that the government still plans to build a replica of Ottoman-era barracks in central Gezi Park, one of the few green spaces in the city, reminded Sami of the protests of last year, which kicked off in reaction to the government-backed construction plans. Fearing that tensions might erupt again, Sami told the Cihan news agency, "After this [loss of Berkin], we don't want even a single hair on anyone's head to be hurt." In relation to the hearing into Berkin's death, which has not made any significant progress, Sami commented: "Only the name of one police commissioner's assistant has bee

Sami Elvan, the father of Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head by a tear gas canister during last year's Gezi Park protests and later died after nine months in a coma, has said the family suffered a huge loss with Berkin's death, adding that no one else should have to pay such a price if the government continues to push for construction on İstanbul's Gezi Park.

The recent revelation that the government still plans to build a replica of Ottoman-era barracks in central Gezi Park, one of the few green spaces in the city, reminded Sami of the protests of last year, which kicked off in reaction to the government-backed construction plans. Fearing that tensions might erupt again, Sami told the Cihan news agency, "After this [loss of Berkin], we don't want even a single hair on anyone's head to be hurt."

In relation to the hearing into Berkin's death, which has not made any significant progress, Sami commented: "Only the name of one police commissioner's assistant has been mentioned in the case. They've only decided to hear him as a witness. I don't know if he has given a statement or not at the moment."

'Why is he mocking Berkin's family?'

Countering statements from former Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Berkin's death, Sami said: "I want to say this with open courage. While one person has been president and prime minister, we have lost eight lives in the Gezi events. He hasn't dealt with any of these. He has fought against a 13-and-a-half-year-old child. I can't understand what Berkin did to him. Did Berkin reveal his corruption, I wonder? Did Berkin reveal his true actions? Why is he mocking Berkin's mother and family? How can a 14-year-old child be a terrorist? I'm wondering about this. They've taken everything from Berkin. He [Erdoğan] is talking constantly about whatever Berkin did."

Berkin's mother, Gülsüm Elvan, said they still feel Berkin's pain in their hearts and that their lives have been turned into a prison. "We're living, we can't live. They've split us apart. I can't sleep with medication. I'm going to sleep with my son, I'm waking up with my son," she said, adding: "Let's say there was a slingshot in his hand, there was a stone. Was it necessary to have him killed?"

Commenting on the possibility of further clashes due to ongoing attempts to build on Gezi Park, Gülsüm agreed with her husband. "Can something like that happen again? I hope they use common sense. I hope their consciences ache. They can't do something like this."

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)



 
Latest News





 
 
Top News