294 children detained during Gezi protests in Turkey

ANKARA

A protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask poses during the protests in Gezi. Daily News Photo / Emrah Gürel

Almost 300 children were taken into custody and one child was wounded by a bullet over the course of the Gezi Park demonstrations, according to a report.

The report by the Gündem Çocuk ("Children on the Agenda") Association covered violations of children’s rights between May 28 and June 25.

According to the report, a minimum of 294 children were taken into custody during the protests. The number of children detained was 78 in Ankara, 35 in Istanbul, 130 in Adana, 34 in İzmir, two in Kayseri and 15 in Mersin. The report also consisted of cases where children were exposed to tear gas, pressurized water and noise bombs, and some in which they were beaten with batons. Some were taken into unregistered custody and were subject to handcuffing and profiling.

The report stated that some children in custody were held within the scope of the fight against terrorism.

Remarkably, the report suggested there was also a case in which a child was wounded by a bullet. It said a 17-year-old high school student was wounded by a bullet in the back in Istanbul's Taksim Square on June 1. In a police proceeding recorded upon the event, it was noted that the bullet was sent to the related unit for ballistic inquiry. Soon after, the family pressed charges against the public prosecutor’s office as the bullet was found to have come from the police.