A university student was arrested for attacking a demonstrator who was carrying an Islamic flag during an anti-Israel protest in İstanbul on Monday that was called by a pro-government foundation, the Kronos news website reported.
Tens of thousands marched in İstanbul Monday to protest Israel’s war in Gaza and the killing of Turkish soldiers by outlawed Kurdish militants in Iraq as part of a protest called by the pro-gov’t Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), which counts Bilal Erdoğan, the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as among its members.
According to Turkish media reports, one of the protestors, İsmail Aydemir, was punched by Ege Akersoy while carrying a flag bearing the Islamic “word of Tawhid” (unity), which can be translated as “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Akersoy, a fourth-year engineering student at Yıldız Technical University in İstanbul, was detained by the police and taken to the Karaköy Police Station. He was arrested by a court later in the day and sent to Metris Prison.
Ümit Özdağ, leader of the far-right and anti-refugee Victory Party (ZP), claimed on X that Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya had called the Karaköy Police Station while Akersoy was in custody to ensure that he appeared before a court and was jailed.
Özdağ also said Akersoy’s father, a retired military officer, told him that his son had never been involved in a fight in his entire life.
“However, he had become deeply disturbed and upset about disrespect of the Turkish flag and [Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk, in recent days. I wish he hadn’t done it,” the ZP leader quoted the father as saying.
Atatürk is the founder of modern Turkey.
Özdağ vowed to follow Akersoy’s situation closely.
Biraz önce yumruk attığı için tutuklananEge Akersoy Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi 4.sınıf elektrik elektronik mühendisliği öğrencisi imiş. Başarılı bir öğrenci olduğu için burs alıyormuş.
Ege’nin babası emekli bir subay. Biraz önce kendisi ile görüştüm. Ege’nin hayatı boyunca hiç…— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) January 1, 2024
Nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party spokesperson Kürşad Zorlu also said that although physical violence can never be defended, he regrets Akersoy’s arrest and thinks his pre-trial detention is against the law.
Zorlu argued that the arrest order was contrary to the principle of proportionality, calling for the immediate release of Akersoy.
🔴Bugün İstanbul’da daha önce de olduğu gibi Filistin’e destek amaçlı bir yürüyüş düzenlenmiştir. Ancak etkinlik kapsamında milli birliğimiz ve cumhuriyet değerlerimiz açısından asla kabul edemeyeceğimiz bazı görüntüler de kamuoyuna yansımıştır.
Yürüyüşün dağılması esnasında bu…
— Prof.Dr.Kürşad ZORLU (@zorlu77) January 1, 2024
