She described the moment the fight on Marmaray began: 'She insulted my headscarf'

New details have emerged regarding the fight that took place on the Marmaray in Istanbul, which drew significant public reaction. New footage has surfaced of the argument that resulted in 50-year-old Deniz E., who was traveling with her children, being assaulted and suffering a broken nose. The footage shows the moments after the incident when the young woman, Zehra A., got off the Marmaray crying.

THE ARGUMENT STARTED OVER A SEAT

One of the parties involved in the argument, 19-year-old Zehra A., went to the police station two days after the incident and filed a complaint against Deniz E. In her statement to the police along with her complaint petition, Zehra A. explained in detail how the fight began.

Zehra A. stated that Deniz E. addressed her in a loud voice while boarding the train:

"While boarding the train, she said things to me like, 'Move out of the way, why are you standing here, I can't get through with my children, who will take responsibility if my children get crushed,' and then she boarded the train."

Stating that she apologized and moved as far as she could in the crowded space, Zehra A. recounted the following:

“I said to her, ‘Ma'am, I apologize, the train is already crowded, I moved as much as I could.’ But she continued to talk to herself while standing right behind me, at a very close distance.”

“SHE SPOKE REFERRING TO MY HEADSCARF”

In her statement, Zehra A. alleged that Deniz E. made remarks targeting her headscarf and noted that she defended herself against this:

“I told her that she shouldn't make insulting remarks referring to my headscarf. To calm her down, I said, ‘Ya sabır, ya selamet’ (Oh patience, oh peace). Upon these words, she reacted by saying, ‘A 20-year-old girl is saying oh patience, oh peace.’”

The young woman said that she tried to move away because the environment was very crowded, but she was unsuccessful. She stated that she felt under pressure, was insulted, and began to cry because she could not respond to it.

DENIZ E. RELEASED

Taking action upon Zehra A.'s complaint, the police detained Deniz E. After giving her statement at the police station, Deniz E. was released following the procedures.

WHAT HAPPENED?

An argument broke out between Deniz E. and a female passenger over a seating issue. During the argument, E.D., who was on the train, assaulted Deniz E. The scuffle escalated when I.A., who joined the fight later, intervened. As the train approached the station, the parties got off and continued the argument there. During the incident, other female passengers at the station tried to calm the frightened children.