Number of detainees due to May 1st reaches 74! What did they say in their statements?

In Istanbul, despite the Constitutional Court's ruling, Taksim Square was closed to workers and laborers on May 1st. Thousands of people who gathered in Saraçhane on May 1st wanted to march to Taksim. Clashes broke out between protesters and the police. 

Of those detained on the day of the incident, 50 were arrested, and in the subsequent process, early morning house raids were conducted. In the third wave of raids, 27 people were detained and were arrested the day before yesterday.

WHAT DID THEY SAY IN THEIR STATEMENTS?

Cumhuriyet has obtained the statements given by the detainees to the police, the prosecutor's office, and the judges. Batuhan Yanar, a Mimar Sinan student among those arrested, responded to the question asked by the police, "Are you a member of any non-governmental organization, association, or union?" by saying, "I do not want to answer as it is irrelevant to the accusations directed at me." In the continuation of his statement, he said he learned about the demonstration held on the day of the incident from social media, that he attended alone following the call by the CHP and DİSK, that he did not know there was a ban, and that he entered the area through a police search point, asking, "If there is a ban, how was I allowed into the area by the police?" Yanar denied the accusation of 'striking police officers with a banner pole', stating, "There was a lot of commotion during the incident. It is stated in the photo shown to me that I struck with a banner, but I did not strike in any way."

“I HAVE HEALTH ISSUES AND I AM A STUDENT”

University student Öyküm Bozbay stated that she attended the demonstration upon the call of the CHP and DİSK, that she was not aware of the ban, and that while the person shown to her in the front-facing photo was herself, she was not sure about the second photo. Stating that she has health issues, Bozbay said to the judge, "If there is a situation that warrants such an arrest, I request that judicial control measures be applied, taking into account my health problems and the fact that I am a student." 

Blogger Tuner Tekin stated that he is someone who normally celebrates May 1st, that he went to the demonstration alone, and that he attended the demonstration in question following the calls of the CHP and DİSK. He said that the person in the photo shown to him was himself, but that it looked like he was striking because it was taken during the commotion, but that he did not strike the police.

STATED HE IS RETIRED

Ali Mişe, one of the detainees, said in his statement to the Criminal Court of Peace that he attended May 1st but did not commit a crime. Cemaletin Apa, another detainee, said he is retired but works to support his two dependent children. Stating that the person in the footage was not him, Apa did not accept the accusations. Ali Öztutan said he went to Saraçhane on May 1st upon the call of the unions and passed through police search points several times; he noted that there were 3 photos in the file, that he was the person in two of the photos, but that he was not the person at the moment the police were struck, and he did not accept the accusations, stating that the identification was made due to the similarity of clothing.

THEY DENIED THE ACCUSATIONS

Cemil Kapar, one of the detainees, said during his questioning by the judge that he did not go there to engage in any violent act and did not engage in such an act, that he has a company with an annual turnover of 8 million, that he would be a victim if arrested, and that he has a child he is responsible for and no one else to look after the child, requesting to be released under judicial control. Taner Tekin also denied the accusations in court, stating that he has a family he is responsible for and that his family would be victimized if he were arrested.