Individual who attacked Atatürk bust in İzmit taken into custody

In an incident that took place in the courtyard of a primary school in İzmit, an individual identified as M.Ç. cut a ball that children were playing with and placed the pieces on an Atatürk bust.

This incident, which occurred on June 28, 2025, at Mehmet Akif Primary School in the Çukurbağ neighborhood, drew significant backlash after footage was shared on social media.

In the footage, it was seen that M.Ç. asked the person accompanying him, whom he addressed as "cameraman," to film him while he was cutting the ball with a sharp object. During this time, M.Ç. used insulting language toward the Atatürk bust and made threats, stating, "In 2-3 years, we will smash these statues with sledgehammers."

Following the spread of the incident on social media, Kocaeli Police Department teams took action. M.Ç. was taken into custody on charges of violating the Law on Crimes Committed Against Atatürk. This attack was evaluated as an assault on the memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and caused widespread repercussions in public opinion.

News Source: 12punto