A scandalous decision from the Kayapınar Municipality in Diyarbakır! They removed Gaffar Okkan's name from the sign.

The Kayapınar Municipal Council in Diyarbakır changed the name of the Martyr Police Chief Ali Gaffar Okkan Sports Complex to the Peace Sports Complex with a majority vote.

THEY REMOVED THE NAME OF MARTYR ALI GAFFAR OKKAN FROM THE SPORTS COMPLEX

The Kayapınar Municipality, affiliated with the DEM in Diyarbakır, made a controversial decision. The name of the Martyr Police Chief Ali Gaffar Okkan Sports Complex was changed by majority vote. The new name of the center is the Peace Sports Complex.

REACTIONS WERE IMMEDIATE

Mehmet Raşit Ocak, the AK Party Diyarbakır Provincial Chairman, reacted to the decision. In a written statement, Ocak noted that the martyr Okkan was an important figure who had integrated with the city, made significant contributions to the city's sports and social peace, and won the love of the people.

In his statement, Ocak said, "We are sure that the removal of Gaffar Okkan's name, who has established a place in the hearts of the people and whose photo is still hanging on the walls, will deeply hurt Diyarbakırlı people from all walks of life. We want this mistake to be corrected as soon as possible." He reminded that Diyarbakırlı people named their children after Okkan to keep his memory alive due to their love and respect for him.

Ocak continued: "Removing the name of such a beloved figure from the sports complex is a great disrespect to the values of Diyarbakır. It is impossible to separate the concepts of sports and peace from Gaffar Okkan. Such initiatives increase division and polarization in society. Managing a city is not about doing politics through names, but about producing services and innovations."

WHO IS ALI GAFFAR OKKAN?

Born in 1952 in the Hendek district of Sakarya, Okkan graduated from the Police College on September 30, 1970, and from the Police Academy on September 29, 1973. Appointed as a deputy commissioner to the İzmir Police Department, Ali Gaffar Okkan served in various units and began his duty at the Şanlıurfa Police Department in 1983, being promoted to branch manager two years later.

Okkan served in the Eskişehir Police Department in 1986 and became the Deputy Police Chief in that province in 1992. On December 6, 1993, he was promoted to 1st Class Police Chief and appointed as the Police Chief of Kars. On November 18, 1997, Ali Gaffar Okkan began his duty as the Police Chief of Diyarbakır. During this time, he also graduated from the Public Administration Department of Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences.

Married and a father of two, Okkan was martyred in an armed attack while he was ambushed on January 24, 2001, around 17:40, as he was leaving his office and heading towards the governor's building in the Şehitlik neighborhood on Sezai Karakoç Boulevard.

In the treacherous attack, along with Okkan, police officers Mehmet Kamalı, Sabri Kün, Mehmet Sepetçi, Atilla Durmuş, and Selahattin Baysoy were also martyred.