Park Renamed After Abdullah Cömert Following Prosecution

A park named initially after Abdullah Cömert, a Gezi protestor who died of tear gas, and renamed due to AKP prosecution, regained its name after a municipal council made a new ruling. 

The incident initially started on 2 September 2013 when Istanbul's Bakırköy Municipal Council ruled the change the name of Boztepe Park into Abdullah Cömert Park. 

The park was re-opened on the death anniversary of Abdullah Cömert, 3 June 2014, with the accompany of his family. 

Abdullah Cömert’s father Edip Cömert, mother Hatice Cömert, and brother Zafer Cömert attended the opening of the park. “Thank you all. You gave the name of my son to a park in order to eternize his name. My son went out for the park (he means Gezi Park),” his father said. 

However, Mehmet Emin Ertekin, AKP deputy and at the same time candidate for Bakırköy Mayor, lauched a lawsuit for cancelation of the park under the claim that the name of the park is ideological and political and he stated that municipal council should make a decision based on two thirds majority not simple majority. 

On 6 May 2014, İstanbul 7^th Administrative Court ruled the cancelation of changing name of the park into Abdullah Cömert on the account that decision wasn’t made with the two third majority. It is emphasized that decision was made with 18 positive votes. Total number of members in assembly was actually 31, but 21 member voted. 

After the declaration of the decision, Bakırköy Municipality made a new decision on the session of parliament dated 9 July 2014 and Abdullah Cömert signboard with the two third majority of votes. 

Mehmet Emin Ertekin stated in the session of parliament that public was harmed because of the park opening made before the final decision was made. He also said that they will use all of their legal rights for this. (NVMUY/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.