Murderers of Berkin Elvan must be brought to justice!
Berkin Elvan, a child who was hit on his head with a gas canister thrown by the police during the Gezi uprising in Turkey last summer as he was on his way to buy bread and who had been in intensive care for the last 269 days passed away on Tuesday, 11th March 2014 morning at 7.00am. We have lost Berkin Elvan after his fight lasting months, adding to the deaths of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, Ethem Sarısülük, Abdullah C-mert, Mehmet Ayvalıtaş, Ahmet Atakan and Medeni Yıldırım.
Responsible for Berkin Elvan’s death is the ruling AKP which put to cruel force the governmental power it controls using weapons including gas bombs and water cannons, against young people, those who resist and use their democratic rights to protest.
The same mentality which subjected people to tonnes of gas bombs and canisters, attacked them with water cannons and decorates members of the police who killed young people as ‘heroes of epic proportions’ is still in power. Members of the police force who killed children, their commanding officers who oversee them, the politicians who stand behind their decisions, the governor of Istanbul, still remain in office.
The AKP government which cannot even tolerate people to gather together to share their sorrow following Berkin Elvan’s death, continues to do its utmost to legitimise the police while police violence itself continues. Once again, people waiting in front of the hospital were attacked with gas bombs. In many cities around Turkey, demonstrations were held for Berkin and there have been prompt and brutal police attacks on each of these demonstrations.
We, as those making up the Solidarity with People of Turkey (SPOT) campaign, demand that those directly responsible for the deaths of Berkin Elvan and all those young people murdered during the Gezi resistance are brought before justice and that the attacks on demonstrations held to commemorate Berkin are brought to an end immediately.
As SPOT we are calling on all trade unionists, intellectuals, writers and organisations in Britain to protest against the AKP government. We urge you to share this appeal with all your contacts and send emails of protests to the government officials in Turkey whose details are below. We kindly ask that you also cc [email protected] with your email of protest.
Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity.
- Turkish Republic Prime Minister: Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Email [email protected] Fax: +90 312 422 26 69, +90 312 422 18 99
- Turkish Republic Home Office Affairs: Mr. Efkan Ala, E-Posta [email protected] Fax: +90 312 418 12 60
- Turkish Republic Justice Minister: Mr. Sadullah Ergin, Email [email protected] Fax: +90 312 293 22 23
- Governor of Istanbul: Mr Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, Email [email protected] Fax: +90 212 512 20 86
