Teenager Berkin Elv
an’s
death shakes Turkey
15-year-old Berkin Elvan died after 269 days in coma on
March 11 2014. He was hit by a tear-gas canister on
By Mert Us
June, 16 2013 while going to market to buy bread during
the Gezi protests. He was 16 kilograms when he died.
After his death, hundreds of people went to the hospital to
mourn and protest against the government. After a while
tension rose between the protesters and the police. Police
used tear gas to dispel the protesters even though they
were near the hospital.
After Berkin died, his mother joined the activists crying
and shouting:
“It’s not Allah who took my son away, it’s the Prime Minister.” showing her anger to the government.
The photo was claimed to be fake because the
background of the photo was blurred. Also
when he was in coma his family announced
that he was on his way to buy bread from the
market when he was and the eyewitnesses of
the incident reported that Elvan said:
“I’m going to buy bread from the market.” just
before he was shot.
Berkin Elvan’s funeral ceremony was held in
March 12 and thousands of people attended his
funeral. Although offensive language was heard
After Gülsüm Elvan’s statements Prime Minister Erdoğan
during the funeral. The protests didn’t get big-
defended himself and the police, saying:
ger, but after the funeral protests were made in
“How can the police understand the age of someone who
is throwing marbles with a catapult in his hands and covering his face with a scarf?” referring to the photo of Berkin Elvan holding a catapult.
and out of Turkey. Two people died during the
protests in Turkey. A young civilian, Burak Can
Kahramanoğlu was murdered by a far-left terrorist organization, DHKP-C, and police officer
Ahmet Küçüktağ died due to a heart attack.
“When I heard that he was the same age as
me, I was terrified. When I told it to my mother
she hugged me and started crying.” says a
student who attended in Berkin’s funeral, and
his mother says:
Berkin Elvan’s photo taken during the Gezi protests.