Three attacked in Turkish mall after opening pro-secularism banner

SAKARYA

Three young people were attacked in a shopping mall in the northwestern province of Sakarya after opening a banner that read “Turkey is secular and will remain secular.”

After opening their banners and chanting slogans in the food court of the Serdivan Shopping Mall in Sakarya’s Serdivan district, the three were attacked and beaten by an angry group, who were dispersed by the mall’s security personnel. 

The banner also carried text reading “Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep, İzmir, Reina” and “[Main opposition Republican People’s Party] CHP Sakarya Youth Branch.”

The attacked trio was later taken to a police station for questioning.    

The names included on the banner were places targeted in recent terror attacks in Turkey, which have together claimed dozens of lives