Relatives of the Gezi Resistance dead join the march

The families of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, Ethem Sarısülük, Ahmet Atakan and Berkin Elvan, who lost their lives in the Gezi resistance, participated in CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s justice march. Ali İsmail Korkmaz’s mother Emel Korkmaz, his father Şahap Korkmaz and big brother Gürkan Korkmaz, Ahmet Atakan’s mother Emsal Atakan, Berkin Elvan’s father Sami Elvan, Ethem Sarısülük’s brother İkrar Sarısülük and Okan Göçer, one of the Gezi injured, walked alongside Kılıçdaroğlu in the procession. The families who are seeking justice for their children made the following comments:
-Emel Korkmaz: We are here for justice. We are here for justice to be attained, for justice to come to this country. Justice will be necessary for everyone not just us. We have been fighting for four years since the day my son was murdered and will continue to do so. This search for justice did not start with us and this search has been going on for years and its attainment has yet to be achieved. I believe that justice will come one day. God willing, it will come. But, we don’t want others to go through torment.

-Şahap Korkmaz: Ali İsmail would have wished to be here. If he were alive, he would most certainly be here, because he was aware and would not have stayed put. He was of no harm to anybody. Even if he was attacked, he didn’t do anything apart from try to get away. I am representing Ali İsmail here today. We are seeking justice and equality. But, we see that these ruling circles are afraid of justice and equality, because they are governing the country with a lie. They constantly favour oppression and violence.

-Emsal Atakan: I greet everyone on the march with respect and love. Perhaps 50,000 people have marched here by now. Everyone wants justice. In fact, millions in this country want justice but most people are afraid and cannot raise their voices. Justice will be necessary for everyone. I have come from Hatay. I am Gezi martyr Ahmet Atakan’s mother. My son was murdered four years ago and on Mother’s Day, with no investigation yet having been launched into my son, I wanted to be symbolically at one with my children and act as a voice for Semih and Nuriye in the hope that there would be no further deaths. An investigation was launched into me and an investigation was launched into Emel mother. I say to them, ‘Shame on you.’ One day for sure justice will be necessary for those who launch investigations into us, let them be sure of that. The judiciary will summon them one day, because there is really no justice in this country. Justice is only for the rich. It has always been the children of the poor who have been murdered until now. Nothing happens to rich children and rich children’s families. But, this set-up will not go on like this. We will not be subdued, we will wage our struggle and resist until the end. Justice will come to this country. There will be peace and serenity. I am truly so upset at the distressing news that comes every one of God’s days about our youth, soldiers and fine youngsters we have raised. It is enough finally. We are on the justice march today calling for an end to the bloodshed.

-Gülsüm Elvan: I have been seeking justice for four years. It has somehow eluded me. I ask the prosecutors, ‘When will justice be on our side?’ They have told me, ‘I don’t know.’ If they don’t know, who does? There is a hearing on 6 July. I am marching for my son. At the same time, I am also here for Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça, who lost their jobs under decrees with the force of law and are currently on hunger strike in prison. Let officials pay heed to them. They are dying. Listen. We are not strong or comfortably off in economic terms. I am here so that nobody is deprived of their bread.