Dilek İmamoğlu reacts to the murder of 17-year-old Atlas: 'If we stay silent today'
In Güngören, 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan was stabbed to death by another 15-year-old child. While the Minguzzi murder remains a prominent topic on the agenda, the occurrence of such a crime has been met with great outrage. Dilek İmamoğlu, wife of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, strongly condemned the murder.
12punto
As the rise in violent incidents among children on the streets—many of which result in injury or murder—draws significant backlash, another child named Atlas has now fallen victim to murder.
While the family of Atlas, who was killed by another 15-year-old child, expressed their outrage over their grief and the authorities' indifference toward street violence, another reaction to the events came from Dilek İmamoğlu.
In her statement, İmamoğlu said the following:
"A 17-year-old child was killed by a 15-year-old child.
This sentence is not just a news headline that we can lightly pass over.
This sentence is a heavy responsibility that weighs on all of our shoulders.
The accountability for every child we could not protect and could not offer a safe life is the responsibility of politicians first, then relevant institutions and organizations, and finally all adults—all of us.
Today in this country, children and women are being killed on the streets, at home, at school, and in the workplace. Violence is no longer just in the world of adults; it has now permeated among children as well.
Every day, we hear about more cases of violence among children. This is not a coincidence. This is the result of poverty, insecurity, hopelessness, and neglect.
Children are not being protected.
Children are being abandoned to poverty.
A bright future cannot be provided for children.
Children who are torn from education, deprived of a safe life, and stripped of their belief in tomorrow clearly demonstrate the painful and dangerous point the country has reached.
Do not try to distract the public's attention with artificial agendas anymore.
We must now talk about the real problems of our country. We must put a stop to this darkness we are being dragged into.
We must talk about the right to life.
We must talk about the future of children.
We must talk about the economy, and a fair and equal life.
What is politics for in this country? All these issues are exactly the main subject of politics. A political system that cannot solve the problems of its citizens can no longer provide any benefit to that country.
All relevant state mechanisms must take immediate action for the safe future of our country's children, youth, and women.
If we stay silent today, tomorrow we will read the names of more children in news headlines. And that burden will become too heavy for any of us to bear."