A young nurse in İstanbul has told Turkish media that a man attacked her on a bus on Monday for wearing shorts.
Twenty-three-year-old nurse Ayşegül Terzi told Turkish newspapers and TV stations that on Sept. 12, the first day of Eid al-Adha, on the way home from her shift at a hospital in İstanbul, an unidentified man on the bus kicked her. She said that because of her earphones she did not hear what the man said before he suddenly kicked her in the face, but a passenger next to her told that the attacker shouted “These woman are evil and spread bad fortune,” and uttered disparaging remarks. Terzi said the attacker was a big man, around 35 years old, with some beard and slightly bald, wearing a T-shirt with “18” printed on the back.
Terzi said that although the bus was full, only three young men intervened and stopped the man, but since the attacker was big, he was able to get away. According to Terzi, who later filed a complaint, the driver of the bus, bearing the license plate number 34 JZ 6536, did not offer to take her to a hospital or police station after the attack.
Driver: The attacker was taken off the bus
The bus driver, Şaban Bıyıklı, on the other hand, said that due to all the commotion he did not understand why the man in the rear of the bus had attacked the young woman. He said he heard the woman scream, but then he had to open the door for some passengers. The driver claimed he suggested taking the woman to a hospital or police station, but said she declined and subsequently got off the bus. The police called the driver a few days later to obtain information on the incident.
The young nurse, still reportedly suffering from the trauma, says she will file a complaint about the driver as well for not informing the police about the attack.
Police: The woman did not mention wearing shorts as possible reason for attack
The police, however, told the media that Terzi did not mention wearing shorts as the reason for the attack, but said she was attacked for no apparent reason. The police added that they have footage of the attack and have been trying to identify the attacker.
Meanwhile, the attack, allegedly for wearing shorts, led to outrage in social media in Turkey as hash tags in support of Ayşegül Terzi began to appear. Numerous female deputies in Parliament also protested the attack on the young nurse for her choice of clothing. Terzi said she does wear shorts, and that nobody has the right to intervene in her choices. She expressed disappointment about the indifference of the passengers on the bus.