Man with machete could be regarded as ‘terror victim’

ISTANBUL

S.Ç. was seen holding a machete in the footage. DHA Photo

The man who attacked Gezi Park protesters with a machete could be regarded as a ”terror victim” and compensated for the losses his business suffered during the protests, daily Taraf reported today.

The business losses S.Ç., a shop owner in Taksim who attacked protesters with a machete on July 6, claimed to have suffered during the Gezi Park protests could be compensated by the state because he will be regarded as a “terror victim.”

S.Ç. was quoted in the media as claiming that the reason he took to the streets with a machete and attacked Gezi Park protesters was the losses his business was suffering because of the protests, which have been ongoing since the end of May.

The state will compensate the damages shopkeepers have suffered during the protests not only in Istanbul but also around Turkey. Shop owners who document their damages will be classified as “terror victims” and compensated for their losses.

A report prepared by the Istanbul Metropolitan and Istanbul’s Beyoğlu municipalities defining losses of the shopkeepers around Istanbul’s Taksim Square during the Gezi Park protests stated that 1,242 out of almost 5,000 shops had been damaged, marking a loss between 40 and 60 million Turkish Liras, according to daily Taraf.