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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Mardin MP Tuma Çelik has submitted a parliamentary question to be answered by the Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül regarding a Rum (Greek) citizen murdered in Gökçeada/Imbros.
CLICK - A Rum Citizen Murdered in Gökçeada: Perception of 'Rich Minorities' Risks Human Life
"On previous days, we received a news about a vicious murder. According to the news on Gerçek Gündem, Çanakkale Gündem and Gazete Karınca, 86-year-old Zafiris Pinaris, a resident in Gökçeada and a Rum citizen, was found dead in his home," reminded Çelik and continued as follows:
"Zafiris Pinaris was an artisan, very healthy despite his age, and a member of the Rum society living in the island for a long time now. On the news, it has been stated that three people were detained on the ground of their involvement in the attack, and those who entered the house of Pinaris to steal his money battered and killed him.
"Zafiris Pinaris was first taken to the Gökçeada State Hospital and then to Bursa Forensic Medicine Institute for autopsy. However, since the last week, there is no statement made by the local authorities regarding the incident.
"Another thing reported in the news is that the residents of the island are of the opinion that tension and uneasiness were created before the March 31 local elections.
"In this sense, ensuring that justice is served and the perpetrators are punished will relieve people's uneasiness and grief to some extent.
"According to the 1960 population census, while around 5500 Rum people were living in the island, the Rum population is below 300 today because of the political implications and forced migrations.
"The murder of Zafiris Pinaris has led to the recurrence of the previous traumas as well as uneasiness among the island residents. What happened to a lonely and old artisan shows that a majoritarian perspective is still dominant aside the uneasiness of marginalization and being targeted."
In this context, Çelik has addressed the following questions to Minister Gül:
(PT/TY/SD)