Gezi victim’s family to file complaint against former Ankara mayor’s MP son over 'terrorist' analogy

The family of Berkin Elvan, a 15-year-old Kurdish boy killed by police during the 2013 Gezi protests, will file a criminal complaint against AKP MP Osman Gökçek, who is the son of former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek. Gökçek said “terrorists put explosives in Berkin Elvan's pockets” during the protest, claiming that his murder came after Elvan “attacked” the police.

Saturday June 01 2024 04:28 pm

Son of former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek and AKP MP Osman Gökçek at the Parliament

Duvar English

The family of Berkin Elvan will file a criminal complaint against ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Osman Gökçek over his remarks against Elvan, a 15-year-old Kurdish boy who was killed by police during the 2013 Gezi Protests.

During his speech at the Parliament on May 30, Gökçek said, “Those who put explosives in Berkin Elvan's pockets and let those children out on the streets are the foremost terrorists, know this very well,” claiming that his murder came after Elvan “attacked” the police.

The Elvan family’s lawyers announced that they would file a complaint, saying “Enough is enough, leave Berkin and the Elvan family alone.”

“This person is neither worthy of attention nor worth dealing with. But we will still file that criminal complaint. Tomorrow, if not today, all those responsible for Berkin's murder will be held accountable for their actions, along with all those who used their tiny brains to defame Berkin,” they noted in a statement.

ARTIK YETER, BERKİN'İ DE ELVAN AİLESİNİ DE RAHAT BIRAKIN!
— Berkin Elvan (@Berkin_Elvan) May 31, 2024

In response to Gökçek, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Sezgin Tanrıkulu said at the Parliament, “I consider (Gökçek’s remarks) unconscionable to slander (Elvan) from this rostrum for a boy who we buried at the age of 15, weighing 15 kilograms, and who had nothing in his pockets according to court records. Even worse, I see the applause for this from the AKP seats as great unconscionability, as a bad behavior.”

The murder of Berkin Elvan

Elvan became one of the symbols of the Gezi Park protests – which began against the redevelopment of central Istanbul’s Gezi Park and grew into nationwide anti-government unrest – when he died on March 11, 2014, after having been in a coma for 269 days.

He was shot in the head with a police teargas canister while he was out to get bread during the protests. Elvan was the eighth person to be killed in the Gezi Park protests.

Police officer Fatih Dalgalı was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in jail over the murder of Elvan. He will be imprisoned if the Court of Cassation, Turkey's top appeal court, approves of the verdict. He has not been arrested yet.

However, the Elvan family's lawyer Can Atalay received an 18-year prison sentence for allegedly "attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey" during the Gezi Park protests.

Topics Berkin Elvan Osman Gökçek Melih Gökçek AKP Gezi Park protests