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MASSIVE CROWDS BID FAREWELL TO BERKIN ELVAN
Al-Monitor
March 13 2014
Author: Tulin DalogluPosted March 12, 2014
A sea of people hit the streets of Istanbul on March 12, to bid
farewell to Berkin Elvan in one of this country's most crowded
funerals. This boy was only 14 when he was hit by a tear gas canister
in the head in his Okmeydani neighborhood on June 16, during the time
of the Gezi Park protests; he had left his home to buy a loaf of bread
for the family. "Mom, your leg is disabled. If something happens,
you won't be able to run. Let me go. And if I see my friends on the
street, can I bring them to breakfast?" became his last words. He
stayed in a coma for nine months, or a total of 269 days, and lost
his battle early in the morning of March 11; his weight had fallen
to 16 kilos (35 pounds), down from 45 kilos (99 pounds). His death,
the ninth linked to last year's protests -- which began as a result
of irreconcilable policies involving Istanbul city planning between
the government and the public -- has become the symbol of people
seeking justice.
Summaryâ~N~Y Print Berkin Elvan, who on June 16 was hit in the head by
a tear gas canister, died on March 11, becoming the symbol of people
seeking justice.
Author Tulin DalogluPosted March 12, 2014
Just a few hours after Berkin Elvan was rushed to the hospital last
year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a huge
crowd in Kazlicesme where he termed the rally "Respect to National
Will." This also was a part of the ruling Justice and Development
Party's (AKP) official launch of the local elections campaign scheduled
for March 30.
Erdogan was furious. "We know very well who sent 30,000 food boxes to
Taksim, sheltered the terrorists in their hotels and the provocateurs
of the social media," the prime minister said. "We will identify one by
one those who have terrorized the streets of our cities. We have all
recordings of city surveillance footage. We will trace the media and
social media to find those who have provoked incidents," he added,
praising the crowd in his rally: "These hundreds of thousands of
people are not the ones who have burned and destroyed; these hundreds
of thousands of people are not traitors like those who throw Molotov
cocktails at my people. Whatever we do, we will remain within the
frame of democracy and the rule of law. We have never pushed the
limits of legality."
On March 10, however, Turkish media reported that police officers who
testified on Feb. 6 couldn't remember where they were or what they
were doing on the day when Berkin Elvan was severely wounded in the
head; police did not bring those responsible for the incident before
a judge. Also on March 10, police used heavy tear gas to disperse a
crowd of about 20 people who had gathered at the hospital in support
of his survival. As the news hit the traditional and social media that
even hospital corridors had been filled with tear gas, resentment
multiplied. That eventually awakened President Abdullah Gul, and he
became the first state official to phone the family -- after 268 days
-- to express good will and speedy recovery for Berkin Elvan. The
boy died the next morning. Erdogan has yet to extend his condolences.
On the day when Berkin was hit, Erdogan referred to all the protesters
as terrorists. Berkin was not even protesting a thing when he was
struck in the head by the tear gas canister. But it is not the facts
that matter, or the common sense that should suggest that people
have a constitutional right to protest, and no one should have to
risk their life while doing so. Radikal daily, however, reported on
July 17, "Gulsum Elvan is reacting against the initial police report
that suggests they found explosives on her son when he was brought
to hospital and the efforts to show him as a member of a terrorist
organization. During last week's demonstrations against the Council
of Higher Education (YOK), protesters who were taken under custody
were accused of praising a terrorist organization because they carried
banners stating 'Berkin Elvan is our pride.'"
Erdogan's supporters certainly agree with this line of thinking.
Twitter user R.S.4 @vosvoscandir sent out this today: "It
looked too much of a work of the parallel state to me -- stay in
coma for some 250 days, then die just 19 days before the local
election #GeziProvokatorleriIsBasinda." That hashtag means "Gezi
provocateurs are at work." Interestingly Ak Parti Social Media
@AkPartiMedia used the same hashtag in tweets today. For example,
it wrote, "#Gezi Provocateurs Are At Work Well Done! #BerkinElvan
#SehitVatanUgrunaCanVerendir." That last hashtag means "a martyr is
the one who dies for his country." There were even those like Seneray
Kilincarslan, who tweeted: "These are the Alevis of Armenian origin.
Ottomans threw their grandfathers away, and these are the remaining
Armenian bastards." Or, Omer Faruk Ayar, who tweeted: "What was he
doing there? So, he got his lesson!"
That said, some members of the AKP extended their condolences. Bulent
Arinc said even those who remain silent on this day -- perceived as
direct reference to Erdogan -- also is saddened by this boy's death.
Istanbul Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu (@ValiMutlu) tweeted: "I wish from
the heart that funeral proceeds according to this respectable family's
grief and desire and that we do all we can to facilitate it." Many
reacted harshly to the governor, demanding that those who killed
Berkin be brought before a judge.
Gulsum Elvan also cried out today that it was not God's will who
took her son away, but rather the police who killed her son, and she
kept demanding justice. There were also times during the long funeral
procedure where people chanted "Killer Erdogan!"
The prime minister, however, today rallied in Siirt, reminding the
people of his 3½ months imprisonment in 1998 at the Pinarhisar prison
for reading a poem that was considered provoking people to religious
hatred, and asked whether he killed someone. "Remember, I spent time
in Pinarhisar. What have I done; did I kill someone? Did I steal
something? What have I done? ... That era is now over. This is a new
era." He continued, "It was first the Gezi Park protests. It is now
Dec. 17, Dec. 25. These are all coup attempts against the new Turkey.
I want you to know this. In the Gezi protests, [saving] trees or
[being conscious about] the environment were just excuses. ... What
happened? ... The road map in democracies is the ballot box. If you
have the power, you will win there. If you're not going to [the]
election, you're disrespectful to the people."
Today's crowds commemorating Elvan's death, however, were not only in
Istanbul but also in Ankara, Izmir and elsewhere, reminding Erdogan
that being elected to office does not give him the right to do whatever
he wants. Yet, there was again heavy police intervention with copious
use of tear gas and water cannons on streets across the nation. The
people continue to demand that Erdogan abide by the principles of
democracy and uphold the rule of law. People are demanding that the
police officers who were responsible for Berkin Elvan's death stand
trial, and they do not want the prime minister to be able to escape
corruption charges by not appearing before a high council set forth
by the parliament. Erdogan's unwillingness to do so seems to have
multiplied people's rage since the Gezi Park protests.
The opposition party leaders also call for Erdogan to truly respect
the rule of law. Both Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican
People's Party (CHP) and Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) consider Erdogan responsible for Berkin's
death, recalling how the prime minister had praised the work of
the police forces as heroic during the Gezi Park protests. Still,
the legislative leaders called on people to stay calm and avoid any
kind of provocation.
In sum, Turkey's divide between Erdogan followers and the others just
got deeper and people on the latter side are on the verge of losing
their faith in justice. What this all will mean for the upcoming
local election due on March 30 is yet to be seen.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/turkey-berkin-elvan-protests.html
Al-Monitor
March 13 2014
Author: Tulin DalogluPosted March 12, 2014
A sea of people hit the streets of Istanbul on March 12, to bid
farewell to Berkin Elvan in one of this country's most crowded
funerals. This boy was only 14 when he was hit by a tear gas canister
in the head in his Okmeydani neighborhood on June 16, during the time
of the Gezi Park protests; he had left his home to buy a loaf of bread
for the family. "Mom, your leg is disabled. If something happens,
you won't be able to run. Let me go. And if I see my friends on the
street, can I bring them to breakfast?" became his last words. He
stayed in a coma for nine months, or a total of 269 days, and lost
his battle early in the morning of March 11; his weight had fallen
to 16 kilos (35 pounds), down from 45 kilos (99 pounds). His death,
the ninth linked to last year's protests -- which began as a result
of irreconcilable policies involving Istanbul city planning between
the government and the public -- has become the symbol of people
seeking justice.
Summaryâ~N~Y Print Berkin Elvan, who on June 16 was hit in the head by
a tear gas canister, died on March 11, becoming the symbol of people
seeking justice.
Author Tulin DalogluPosted March 12, 2014
Just a few hours after Berkin Elvan was rushed to the hospital last
year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a huge
crowd in Kazlicesme where he termed the rally "Respect to National
Will." This also was a part of the ruling Justice and Development
Party's (AKP) official launch of the local elections campaign scheduled
for March 30.
Erdogan was furious. "We know very well who sent 30,000 food boxes to
Taksim, sheltered the terrorists in their hotels and the provocateurs
of the social media," the prime minister said. "We will identify one by
one those who have terrorized the streets of our cities. We have all
recordings of city surveillance footage. We will trace the media and
social media to find those who have provoked incidents," he added,
praising the crowd in his rally: "These hundreds of thousands of
people are not the ones who have burned and destroyed; these hundreds
of thousands of people are not traitors like those who throw Molotov
cocktails at my people. Whatever we do, we will remain within the
frame of democracy and the rule of law. We have never pushed the
limits of legality."
On March 10, however, Turkish media reported that police officers who
testified on Feb. 6 couldn't remember where they were or what they
were doing on the day when Berkin Elvan was severely wounded in the
head; police did not bring those responsible for the incident before
a judge. Also on March 10, police used heavy tear gas to disperse a
crowd of about 20 people who had gathered at the hospital in support
of his survival. As the news hit the traditional and social media that
even hospital corridors had been filled with tear gas, resentment
multiplied. That eventually awakened President Abdullah Gul, and he
became the first state official to phone the family -- after 268 days
-- to express good will and speedy recovery for Berkin Elvan. The
boy died the next morning. Erdogan has yet to extend his condolences.
On the day when Berkin was hit, Erdogan referred to all the protesters
as terrorists. Berkin was not even protesting a thing when he was
struck in the head by the tear gas canister. But it is not the facts
that matter, or the common sense that should suggest that people
have a constitutional right to protest, and no one should have to
risk their life while doing so. Radikal daily, however, reported on
July 17, "Gulsum Elvan is reacting against the initial police report
that suggests they found explosives on her son when he was brought
to hospital and the efforts to show him as a member of a terrorist
organization. During last week's demonstrations against the Council
of Higher Education (YOK), protesters who were taken under custody
were accused of praising a terrorist organization because they carried
banners stating 'Berkin Elvan is our pride.'"
Erdogan's supporters certainly agree with this line of thinking.
Twitter user R.S.4 @vosvoscandir sent out this today: "It
looked too much of a work of the parallel state to me -- stay in
coma for some 250 days, then die just 19 days before the local
election #GeziProvokatorleriIsBasinda." That hashtag means "Gezi
provocateurs are at work." Interestingly Ak Parti Social Media
@AkPartiMedia used the same hashtag in tweets today. For example,
it wrote, "#Gezi Provocateurs Are At Work Well Done! #BerkinElvan
#SehitVatanUgrunaCanVerendir." That last hashtag means "a martyr is
the one who dies for his country." There were even those like Seneray
Kilincarslan, who tweeted: "These are the Alevis of Armenian origin.
Ottomans threw their grandfathers away, and these are the remaining
Armenian bastards." Or, Omer Faruk Ayar, who tweeted: "What was he
doing there? So, he got his lesson!"
That said, some members of the AKP extended their condolences. Bulent
Arinc said even those who remain silent on this day -- perceived as
direct reference to Erdogan -- also is saddened by this boy's death.
Istanbul Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu (@ValiMutlu) tweeted: "I wish from
the heart that funeral proceeds according to this respectable family's
grief and desire and that we do all we can to facilitate it." Many
reacted harshly to the governor, demanding that those who killed
Berkin be brought before a judge.
Gulsum Elvan also cried out today that it was not God's will who
took her son away, but rather the police who killed her son, and she
kept demanding justice. There were also times during the long funeral
procedure where people chanted "Killer Erdogan!"
The prime minister, however, today rallied in Siirt, reminding the
people of his 3½ months imprisonment in 1998 at the Pinarhisar prison
for reading a poem that was considered provoking people to religious
hatred, and asked whether he killed someone. "Remember, I spent time
in Pinarhisar. What have I done; did I kill someone? Did I steal
something? What have I done? ... That era is now over. This is a new
era." He continued, "It was first the Gezi Park protests. It is now
Dec. 17, Dec. 25. These are all coup attempts against the new Turkey.
I want you to know this. In the Gezi protests, [saving] trees or
[being conscious about] the environment were just excuses. ... What
happened? ... The road map in democracies is the ballot box. If you
have the power, you will win there. If you're not going to [the]
election, you're disrespectful to the people."
Today's crowds commemorating Elvan's death, however, were not only in
Istanbul but also in Ankara, Izmir and elsewhere, reminding Erdogan
that being elected to office does not give him the right to do whatever
he wants. Yet, there was again heavy police intervention with copious
use of tear gas and water cannons on streets across the nation. The
people continue to demand that Erdogan abide by the principles of
democracy and uphold the rule of law. People are demanding that the
police officers who were responsible for Berkin Elvan's death stand
trial, and they do not want the prime minister to be able to escape
corruption charges by not appearing before a high council set forth
by the parliament. Erdogan's unwillingness to do so seems to have
multiplied people's rage since the Gezi Park protests.
The opposition party leaders also call for Erdogan to truly respect
the rule of law. Both Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican
People's Party (CHP) and Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) consider Erdogan responsible for Berkin's
death, recalling how the prime minister had praised the work of
the police forces as heroic during the Gezi Park protests. Still,
the legislative leaders called on people to stay calm and avoid any
kind of provocation.
In sum, Turkey's divide between Erdogan followers and the others just
got deeper and people on the latter side are on the verge of losing
their faith in justice. What this all will mean for the upcoming
local election due on March 30 is yet to be seen.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/turkey-berkin-elvan-protests.html