Eyewitnesses Submit Testimonies in Berkin Elvan Case

Two eyewitnesses reportedly submitted their statements yesterday within the case of Berkin Elvan - a 15-year-old child who was shot during the Gezi Resistance protests and died after 269 days of comatose. 

Ö.K., a 17-year-old child who identified himself as Berkin’s friend, told that he had been with Berkin at the time of the incident in Mahmut Şevket Paşa Street. He said the following to the prosecutor Faruk Bildirici:

“People were fleeing in fear as police fired tear gas bombs. At the time, I was located right across the street where Berkin was shot. He was in the side of his apartment, I could see him from the corner. There was half a dozen people around him. Police started firing tear gas bombs as he turned the corner. Berkin raised his hand and shouted: ‘I am going to buy bread, stop that, don’t cast any more [gas bombs]’. They started firing again when he poked his head in the street. He got irritated when tear gas was fired again. A canister hit his head as he wanted to enter back to the street. He started screaming, the canister thrust right into his head.” 

“He passed out 20 minutes later”

“He removed the canister by slapping with his hand, he was still conscious. We asked him questions, we tried to make him talk. As we put cotton bandaids on his head, he passed out. We grabbed him and rushed into a hospital by a local business owner. He already started vomiting when we had him in the car. We couldn’t drive to the main street as the police attacks resumed there. We reached the hospital in Okmeydanı by driving in the side streets. Doctors made their first intervention and then called his parents. Berkin passed out 20 minutes later after he was shot.” 

“The shooter policeman wore a gas mask. He didn’t had a helmet. There was only 20 meter distance and he fired from that range. That policeman was standing next to KİM, a local shop.” 

“I will go to the bakery if the shop is closed”

Sunay Yıldız, the second eyewitness, identified himself as a waiter at Fatma Girik Park in Mahmut Şevket Paşa district. 

“I was trying to go to work from side streets at that day. I knew Berkin from before. He would come play on our park. I took a cab as buses didn’t run that day, I got off at the street entrance. As I was walking to Fatma Girik Park, I entered the street where Berkin’s family lived. I saw him and asked where he was going. He told me that he was going to buy bread. When I told him that the shop was closed, he told me that he would go to the bakery. I walked along with him, we took the side street.”

“We walked for 5 minutes, then the police started firing gas bombs. Berkin poked his head. Right at that moment, a silver-sih shiny object thrust into the top his neck. It was right at the bak of his head.  He made the canister fall by hitting with his hand. He cried ‘Anne’ (mother) and tried to run back to his apartment. I ran after him and caught him. There was blood in his head. He had loss of conscious after 20 minutes.”

“He was shot as a target”

“The white van stopped when the driver saw us. We hopped into the van along with Ö.K. We drove to Okmeydanı Hospital. It was around  8:30 am in the morning. Doctors told us to stay in the hospital in case of additional blood support. We waited until his family arrived.”

“There was only 20 meters between us and the riot police. Police wore gas masks and helmets. So I can’t identify any of them. Berkin was shot like a target.”

Around 8 am local time on June 16, 2013, Berkin Elvan was shot in the head by a tear gas bomb canister in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı district. 

Remained in comatose for 269 days and turned 15 in the meanwhile, Berkin died on March 11. While the investigation is underway, no policemen have been charged with any offenses. (AS/BM)