19-year-old Gezi victim commemorated on second anniversary in Central Anatolia

Ali ?smail Korkmaz, one of the victims of the Gezi Park protests, was commemorated on the second anniversary of the beating that led to his death in the Central Anatolian province of Eski?ehir on June 2. 

Korkmaz, a 19-year-old student who died 38 days after being fatally beaten by a group of officers and civilians during the nationwide anti-government Gezi protests in 2013 in Eski?ehir, was commemorated in front of the bakery where he was beaten.

Korkmaz's father, ?ahap Korkmaz, and brother, Gürkan Korkmaz, who was also the family's lawyer in the case, attended the commemoration together with more than 200 people. 

The group observed a minute's silence for Korkmaz, laid a photo and carnations in front of the bakery and chanted slogans "We are all Ali, we do not end by being killed," and the "Murderous state will account for its actions." 

"It has been two years that we have been without Ali. There was violence on this street that day. A human was slayed. Where are the people here? Where were the people when that violence was committed?" asked Korkmaz's father during a speech at the commemoration. 

Korkmaz's brother thanked the people of Eski?ehir, who had protected Korkmaz's legacy after his brutal death. 

"You [the people of Eski?ehir] have shown that Ali ?smail has not died. You have shown that he has been resurrected as thousands and millions of Ali ?smails," Gürkan Korkmaz said. 

On Jan. 21, Mevlüt Saldo?an, the main convict in the killing of Korkmaz, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison by the Kayseri 3rd High Criminal Court on charges of injuring and causing the death of Korkmaz. He could be granted probation as early as March 2019 as he has already been under arrest for more than 18...