Gülistan Azak

 

MALATYA - A year has passed since the university student Kemal Kurkut was shot to death by police while passing the checkpoint on Diyarbakır’s Evrim Alataş Avenue to join Newroz celebration. His mother Sican Kurkut says she is waiting for justice for a year and told the thousands to flock to Newroz celebration, “Don’t forget take my Kemal while going to Newroz.”

 

A year has passed since university student Kemal Kurtuk coming from Malatya province to join the Newroz celebration in Diyarbakır on March 21, 2017 was shot to death by police officer. Kemal, who was a student at İnönü University Fine Arts Faculty Department of Music was shot to death in front of the journalists but Diyarbakır Governorate accused him of “being a suicide bomber”  to cover the incident. After the pictures were shared by journalists, the governorate had to take a step back from the accusation. But despite everything, all requests for arresting the police officer Y.Ş, who killed Kemal, has been rejected.

 

On the first anniversary of the killing, his mother Sican Kurkut spoke to us. Sincan said, “We are very angry at those who cause we live in the dead of winter on Newroz day that marks the beginning of spring.”

 

‘No law, no justice for a year’

 

Recalling that the police officer killed Kemal is still released pending the trial; Sican said all the lawyers’ requests for arresting the police officer have been rejected. “What kind of justice is that, what kind of law is that?” asked Sican and added, “I am a mother who has been victimized by law and deprived of justice for a year. The police officer killed my Kemal is still free and this hurts me. I demand justice for my Kemal.”

 

‘Don’t let the children to be killed anymore’

 

Pointing out the attacks on Afrin, Sican said, “As mothers raising the children, we know that the most children suffer in wars. Don’t let the children to be killed anymore. The mothers don’t want war.”

 

‘Don’t forget to take my Kemal’

 

Sican appealed to thousands to flock to Newroz celebrations as follows; “Don’t forget take my Kemal while going to Newroz.”