Istanbul Governor says he didn't see any video of attack on woman by Gezi protesters

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu has said that he has not seen video footage of an alleged June 1 attack on a headscarf-wearing woman by Gezi Park protesters in Istanbul's Kabataş neighborhood. AA photo

Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu has said that he has not seen video footage of an alleged June 1 attack on a headscarf-wearing woman by Gezi Park protesters in the Kabataş neighborhood.

“I haven’t seen such a video. I can say that video records have been taken and examined. However, some mobese cameras are broken and mobese cameras are not everywhere so until now no such footage has been seen … But there might be a recording taken by a witness that may be released some day,” Mutlu said, speaking to eksisozluk.com website writers on July 4.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly referred to “attacks on headscarf girls” during speeches criticizing the Gezi Park protests that started at the end of May. In June, Erdoğan stated that the daughter-in-law of someone close to him was dragged in the street and attacked by protesters. Later on, Istanbul’s Bahçelievler Mayor Osman Develioğlu’s daughter-in-law, identified as Z.D., said in an interview with daily Star newspaper that she and her six-month-old baby were attacked by around 100 men wearing gloves, who ripped off her headscarf during the attack.

She also said an old man and her daughter who attempted to protect her were also attacked. Z.D. claimed that the attackers were saying things such as, “We will not leave the country to you,” “Sacred headscarf? You will see the sacred and what we are going to do to you,” and “We will hang Erdoğan.” She said she then fainted, and when she awoke later on she smelled urine.

Z.D. filed a compliant with the prosecutor’s office after the incident. However, no result has yet been received about the identities of the attackers, and no video footage of the attack has emerged.