Dr. Burak Ünveren, a member of Department of
Economics at Yıldız Teknik University and Selim Gören, a student of the same department lost one of their eyes after
being shut by a tear gas canister fired by the Turkish riot police. Burak and Selim are among many, who were seriously injured by tear gas and water cannons directed against
protestors in the ongoing anti-government rallies in Turkey. The protests began
as a reaction to governments plans to demolish Gezi Park, one of the last green
spaces in central Istanbul and replace it with a shopping mall, a replica of Ottoman
era artillery. The brutal crackdown of protestors last week inflamed nationwide
rallies over the weekend against police brutality and anti-democratic rule of the
government. You can read more on Burak and Selim's cases in Turkish here and more on the protests here.
Dr. Burak Ünveren
