A cemetery of children without a burial robe

Another child has died.
Berkin Elvan went out into the street on June 16 to buy bread.
The night before, the neighborhood of Okmeydanı was filled with pepper gas.
He was the junior in the house so it was his duty to buy bread.
He did not return home.
It was clear the police shot him targeting his head.

* * *

On March 9, a statement on behalf of his family was made.
The damage inflicted by the pepper gas canister was as follows:
(*) March 6: he had an epileptic fit.
(*) March 7: his heart stopped; then started pumping again.
(*) March 9: The damage to his internal organs increased.
(*) He was 45 kilos when he was shot. On March 9 he was 16 kilos.

He was struggling for 267 days not to die, but to live.
He was filled with a desire to live.
That’s why he was not walking around with a burial robe.
He resisted 269 days. To live…
And he lost the war yesterday. It was 7 o’clock; Okmeydanı was just waking up.

* * *

It was the beginning of the summer when he was shot.
Then came Autumn. Winter followed.
Berkin resisted for three seasons.

* * *

His name came from Arabic.
It meant “strong, solid.”
Elvan meant colorful.

* * *

Berkin was 15 years old...
The prime minister is 60 years old...
Berkin is from Okmeydanı.
The prime minister is from Kasımpaşa.
Berkin was struggling for his life.
The prime minister gave promotions to the police who killed him.

* * *

His funeral is today.
Berkin was on the front benches to live.
The prime minister has people with burial robes at his campaign rallies.
But somehow it is always the children without burial robes who die.

* * *

Dear citizens of the Turkish Republic...
This is what they call new Turkey.
If our country turned into a cemetery of children without burial robes;
Even if you get 60 percent of the votes, if you have a conscience,
That conscience of yours should hurt you.

* * *

If it does not....
Then something will come out of that ballot box…
But something belonging to anything human will have remained in the box.