Berkin Elvan Commemorated on Sixth Anniversary of His Death

Photos: ETHA

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It has been six years since Berkin Elvan, who was shot with a tear gas canister during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, lost his life at the age of 15.

Elvan was commemorated at his grave in Feriköy Cemetery in İstanbul's Şişli district today (March 11).

"My child, your mother will not cry today. Today is not the day to cry. Your mother will revolt today. I am hungry for you and for justice," Gülsüm Elvan, the mother of Berkin, said during the commemoration.

Sami Elvan, Berkin's father, said that injustice and oppression continue in Turkey: "Berkin and all the lost children are symbols of the country's democracy, fraternity and freedom. The unlawfulness we experienced in the past continues today."

Gülsüm and Sami Elvan called on the people to attend the hearing of the case over the killing of Berkin Elvan on March 18.

What happened?

On June 16, 2013, Berkin Elvan was hospitalized due to grave head injuries after the police intervention in the district of Okmeydanı in İstanbul. When he was admitted to the Okmeydanı Research Hospital, his heart had reportedly stopped already.

Suffering from a brain hemorrhage, Elvan went through at least five surgeries. On January 5, 2014, Elvan turned 15 in his comatose. He died on March 11, 269 days after being shot.

While the prosecutor investigating the incident was changed for six times, the investigation was completed on December 7, 2016. Prepared by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the indictment demanded that police officer F.D., who was referred to as the only defendant, be penalized on charge of "killing with eventual intent."

The 11-page indictment sent to the İstanbul 17th Heavy Penal Court has been accepted. A verdict of non-prosecution has been given for 42 police officers, who previously made their depositions as part of the investigation into the death of Elvan.

Speaking to bianet, Oya Aslan, one of the attorneys for the Elvan family, stated that a lawsuit was filed only against a single police officer who was on the scene of incident and added that since the lawsuit was filed for "killing with eventual intent", rather than for "wilful murder", it has reduced the foreseen prison sentence to 20 years.

The case is still continuing. Its next hearing will be held on May 8, 2019.

(EMK/VK)