Youth Union Draws Attention To Police Killings In Turkey

The Youth Union protests the murder of the Greek youth by the police and draws attention to the high number of police killings in Turkey, pointing out to the hypocritical stance by the Prime Minister.

Bawer Çakır

“When we look at Greece, what we see is not only the latest incidents. We see in Alexis Baran Tursun, Festus Okey, Çağdaş Gemik, Feyzullah Ete, Uğur Kaymaz, Engin Çeber and many others.”

The members of the Student Youth Union (Genç-Sen) gathered in front of the Greek Embassy in Istanbul and protested the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos by the police. They drew attention to the murders committed by the police.

“The Prime Minister shuts his eyes to the murders in Turkey”

Carrying in their hands banners saying “Alexis is our brother”, about fifty Genç-Sen members demanded cancellation of the powers given to the police by the law arranging the powers and duties of the police (PVSK).

“The government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has blood in its hands for legalizing the murders by the police by passing the PVSK. Those judges and prosecutors who release the police officers who are suspects in these murders and instead arrest the relatives of the victims are copartners in these murders.”

Ali Tektaş, who read the press release on behalf of the group, criticized the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and offered his condolences.

“Police, get out of streets”

“Erdoğan is being hypocritical, because he shuts his eyes to the deaths by the police shootings in his own country. It is easy to talk when one is far away from the fire. However, the Prime Minister forgets that this fire will burn him, too.”

Tektaş said they needed to rise the level of the struggle in order to end the murders.

“We have no other chance, if we want to win back our rights and to live as human beings should. There cannot be any future in a country in which the state has made a tradition out of killing, unless the murderers are called to account for their crimes.”

Grigoropoulos was killed by the Greek police on December 6. Thousands of people have been protesting the murder all around Greece for the past nine days. The protests are also taking place in various towns in Europe. (BÇ/TK).