Protesters ‘in mourning’ attack wedding, kill one person

ADANA – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

A group of people, who were allegedly mourning after the twin suicide bombing in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Oct. 10, attacked a wedding in the southern province of Adana, killing one person and wounding two others, after claiming the hosts of the wedding had denied their demand to end the event. 

The group of people, who were marching in Adana’s Yüreğir district on Oct. 11, without receiving any legal permission, to protest the attack in Ankara which killed 97 people and wounded hundreds more, allegedly went to a wedding ceremony that was being held on the street and told the hosts to “end the wedding as we are mourning.” 

The hosts of the wedding refused the demand, which led to a short discussion between the two parties. 

The group of protesters wearing masks came back to the street where the wedding was being held around 10 minutes later and started firing at the crowd with guns and hunting rifles, while some threw Molotov cocktails. 

İbrahim Halil Aslan, 28, who sustained wounds to his head, chest and arms, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital where he had been taken for treatment. 

İbrahim Ağar, 35, and a 14-year-old teenager, identified only by the initials Y.B., were also wounded in the attack. While Ağar was reported to be in critical condition, the teenager’s injuries did not pose a serious situation. 

Police detained one minor during the operation launched in the aftermath of the attack, while four hunting rifles were also seized. 

At least 97 people were killed in Ankara on Oct. 10, as thousands of people from various sides of the political spectrum and across the country were gathering to march for peace, as violence between Turkish security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had seen an increase since late July.