Man Thought to be French Beaten for Not Holding Flag Turns Out to be Turkish

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The one who was beaten for not holding the flag and alleged that he is a French citizen turned out that he is Mustafa Turan Çalışkan from Yozgat district of Turkey.

Mustafa Turan Çalışkan who has talked to Doğu Eroğlu from BirGün daily has stated that the incident was not even political, he has approached a car to get a lighter and the ones who were in the car have beaten him without saying anything.

Çalışkan has pointed out that the only conversation between them was in Turkish and nothing but asking for a lighter, he said that he couldn’t understand why people thought he was French, probably the impacts made him lose consciousness, and because of that people might think that he was foreigner.

In the video, assailants using phrases such as “You will be punched if you don’t hold the flag”, “You have to hold the flag if we give it to you”, “Say that you like Turkey”, “Say I’m Turkish” and insulting him.

Çalışkan who has filed complaint against assailants has told the incident which happened in Ankara’s district Emek on July 31 Sunday at 2 a.m. as follows:

“I asked for a lighter”

“I asked for a lighter from people in a parked car around subway exit to light my cigarette.

“I got the first punch when I lean to side window to light my cigarette.

“I fell to the ground by the punch in my eye. My eye got damaged so bad because the one that punched me had a ring on his finger.

“When I took blow to my face I couldn't talk, I am not French I am from Yozgat. I punched without a dialogue about flag between us”.

“Ali İsmail Korkmaz came to my mind”

“The only conversation between us was nothing but asking for a lighter.

“They have taped me, I don’t remember the what has been talked in video. I remember thinking ‘I guess I will be a victim of murder’. Ali İsmail Korkmaz came to my mind”.

“I feel like everyone is staring at me”

“If the incident hasn’t got bigger in social media maybe I would move on as if nothing happened.

“My friends took me to hospital right away after they saw the video and I got an assault report, then I went to the police station and filed a complaint against assailants.

“I don’t even want to watch the video… They want to get me to watch video in the police station. I got angry, I did not want to watch it.

“I don’t want to go outside, I feel like everyone is staring at me.” (EKN/UA)