70-Year-Old Woman Dies After Falling Ill During Police Raid

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Edibe Özçelik (70) has died after having a heart attack during a police raid in her home in Samandağ district of the southern Hatay province.

Servet Özçelik, her son who was at home during the raid, told bianet that the police did not allow them to call an ambulance for a long time and that they have filed a criminal complaint against the police officers.

'The doctor said it was too late'

The police raided the house at around 4.45 a.m. on January 17.

Özçelik said that the police first raided the neighboring home, where her uncle lives, and then raided their home.

"Two sons of my uncle were battered, long-barrel weapons were held against their heads. Then they turned to our house. Just as my father headed to the door, they broke the door with a ram and went inside. They asked my father about my older brother, Ümit Özçelik. He told them that he is not at home.

"They also woke me up by poking me with a rifle. They brought me and my other brother Behçet Özçelik to the living room. They also asked us about my older brother Ümit, who works for the Tepebaşı People's Assembly. We told them he is not at home.

"I asked the police officers whether there was an ambulance outside. My mother had diabetes, she was constantly under control. Although I asked many times, they did not respond. My mother came to the living room crying. One of the police officers said, 'Shush this woman, don't let her make a voice.' When I insistently asked if there was an ambulance, they said there was not.

"My mother was worn out. She lied on the couch. I asked if she was okay. She did not respond, she was just waving her hand. She lied down. She was breathing comfortably but she was not speaking. For a moment, we thought she was relaxed. Then she was not reacting in any way. I wanted her to be at least taken out of the house. They did not accept. Plain-clothed teams came and began to search the house. They did not let my mother out as well."

'We should go to the hospital'

"After a while, my mother said, 'We should go to the hospital.' When she tried to get up, she fell on my brother. She was speaking unconsciously. The police officers, who did not let us bring my mother out until that moment, understood the severity of the situation. They stopped blocking us. I and my brother took my mother to the hospital.

"We went to Samandağ State Hospital. She was just given a serum. My brother, Ufuk, said my mother's body got cold. We told the doctor. [The doctor] said, 'She might have gotten through a shock. It is cold, she might have gotten cold.

"After she was not treated here, we brought her to Güneypark Private Hospital. The doctor here said that my mother was having a heart attack, an angiogram should be performed immediately, and it was too late. An angiogram was performed on my mother, who was transferred to Antakya Private Hospital and she was taken under intensive care. In the afternoon on the same day, they informed [us] about her death."

Özçelik said that they filed a complaint against those responsible for his mother's death and that his brother went to the prosecutor's office to give a statement and was then released. (AS/VK)