İbrahim Aras, a 15 y.o. Protestor, Dies in Adana

According to eyewitnesses, İbrahim Aras, 15, died last night after hitting his head due to an object fired by a police tank [Akrep] during a protest in the southern district of Seyhan.

On the other hand, Anatolian News Agency, Turkey’s semi-official news outlet, initially alleged that Aras died of an explosive that he carried in his hand. 

Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reported that Aras, a Mardin province born child, died in the incident venue. It was also claimed that the aforementioned police tank vanished from the scene as soon as the incident happened.   

Perspectives on how the incident took place differed according to eyewitnesses and officials as neighborhood-dwellers alleged that it occurred due to a noise bomb fired by the police tank.  

The incident was protested by a group of locals in the area. 

DIHA also informed that there were no protests in the area prior to the incident. 

AA: Home-made bomb exploded in hand 

Radikal newspaper wrote that the incident took place during a demonstration to condemn the death of two people in Lice district last week. 

According to Anatolian News Agency, Turkey’s semi-official news outlet, “other protestors hindered authorities to recover the suspect’s dead body as he died by the explosion of a home-made bomb in his hand”.   

“Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) officials contacted local law enforcement authorities who reported that they had nothing to do with the death of Aras as police only intervened protests and Aras died while he was throwing an object at police forces,” DIHA reported.

Preliminary autopsy report

Later on, forensic doctors in Adana released the priliminary autopsy report of İbrahim Aras, saying that his cause of death was a brain hemorrhage due to several fractures in the skull. On the other hand, Adana Governor's Office also made a statement, claiming that Aras was carrying a sound bomb which exploded in his hand. While police released footage from the incident scene, those recordings failed to identify Aras. (HK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.