Skip to main content

Massive crowds bid farewell to Berkin Elvan

Berkin Elvan, who on June 16 was hit in the head by a tear gas canister, died on March 11, becoming the symbol of people seeking justice.
Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul March 12, 2014. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan criticised protesters who took to the streets of cities across the country in their hundreds of thousands on Wednesday after the funeral of a 15-year-old boy wounded in anti-government clashes last summer.   REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY  - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)   - RTR3GS33

A sea of people hit the streets of Istanbul on March 12, to bid farewell to Berkin Elvan in one of this country’s most crowded funerals. This boy was only 14 when he was hit by a tear gas canister in the head in his Okmeydani neighborhood on June 16, during the time of the Gezi Park protests; he had left his home to buy a loaf of bread for the family. “Mom, your leg is disabled. If something happens, you won’t be able to run. Let me go. And if I see my friends on the street, can I bring them to breakfast?” became his last words. He stayed in a coma for nine months, or a total of 269 days, and lost his battle early in the morning of March 11; his weight had fallen to 16 kilos (35 pounds), down from 45 kilos (99 pounds). His death, the ninth linked to last year’s protests — which began as a result of irreconcilable policies involving Istanbul city planning between the government and the public — has become the symbol of people seeking justice. 

Just a few hours after Berkin Elvan was rushed to the hospital last year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a huge crowd in Kazlicesme where he termed the rally “Respect to National Will.” This also was a part of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) official launch of the local elections campaign scheduled for March 30.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.