‘Fist’ attack on Fındıklı Mayor

The incident took place in the Fındıklı district of Rize. According to reports, three individuals approached Fındıklı Mayor Ercüment Şahin Çervatoğlu, claiming they wanted to speak with him while he was inspecting the ongoing construction of the Public Beach. Çervatoğlu, who was physically assaulted by the three individuals at that moment, alleged that one of them punched him and then bit him. Çervatoğlu went to the Fındıklı District Police Department to file a complaint.

In his statement, Çervatoğlu noted that he had not felt any problems when he previously encountered the attackers, stating, "This is an attack on us by a gang of heroin and cannabis users who want to disrupt the environment of peace and friendship. We will never, ever take a step back from this attack. Around 3 o'clock, while I was among you as always with a friend in Fındıklı, when we went to inspect the Fındıklı Public Beach, 3 people—you all know these people—came and wanted to talk. They had come to the municipality before; staff members called and I told them I was at the beach. I thought it was quite natural that they wanted to talk. But when they came to me, we were attacked unexpectedly. First, one person got out of the car and wanted to talk; I saw that the conversation was not going well. I realized that he was actually a drug addict who had been in prison and released on leave. We met here a few days ago and there was no personal problem. These are the troubles of Fındıklı, the troubles of the country. We will not allow this in Fındıklı. When I felt this at the moment of the incident, I held his arms, the other friend intervened, he grazed my arm, and I was punched," he said.

"A MEMBER OF THE GANG HAD A FUNERAL PRAYER ANNOUNCED FOR ME"

Stating that one of the attackers had previously had a funeral prayer (sela) announced for him, Çervatoğlu said, "This punch is part of our struggle for Fındıklı to live in brotherhood. Our struggle is to ensure that not a single penny of the Fındıklı people is taken by anyone. Our struggle is the struggle for the future of our children. In this struggle, we would lay down not just a punch, but our bodies. Therefore, I was punched, it doesn't matter, we intervened too. Then he bit me; there is a bite wound here, we don't have anything very serious. The police made the necessary interventions, they were taken into custody. This is a gang; they had previously had a funeral prayer announced for me. You know who it is. A member of this gang had a funeral prayer announced for me. He personally brought the one who threw the punch in his private car, and the other one with him was also someone released from prison for drugs or something. We are ready to die. We would die for Fındıklı. We would die for democracy, for freedom, and I will never, ever take a step back," he said.