Father of ‘man with machete’ who attacked Gezi protesters, apologizes to Turks, Kurds

ISTANBUL

The father of the man who attacked Gezi Park protesters said the clashes between protesters and police had caused great financial damage to their business, which was already in debt and his son was deeply depressed. DHA photo

The father of the man who attacked Gezi Park protesters July 6 with a machete in his hand said what his son did was “unacceptable,” and apologized to the Turkish and Kurdish people in his son’s name.

Mahmut Ç., the father of S.Ç., who was seen kicking a woman in the back while holding a machete in his hand in Taksim on July 6, also blamed the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) harsh stance on the Gezi Park protests.

“If the AKP had not conducted these policies neither the protesters would get hurt nor would the shopkeepers [around Taksim Square] see financial damage. I apologize to the people of Turkey. The protesters say, ‘Killing a tree is equal to killing a human being.’ I also support this resistance,” Mahmut Ç. told Dicle news agency (DİHA).

S.Ç. was struggling under a 600,000-Turkish Lira debt, daily Milliyet had reported earlier. He was quoted as saying he had also lost money because of the Gezi Park protests, which have continued since May 28.

S.Ç.’s shop is in the Talimhane area, next to Taksim Square, where a dozen touristic hotels are located.

His father said the clashes between protesters and police had caused great financial damage to their business, which was already in debt and his son was deeply depressed.