I was harassed by police: Leading Gezi activist

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Mücella Yapıcı (C) has been prominent in Turkey’s nationwide Gezi Park protests and was detained along with other members of the Taksim Solidarity Platform on charges of “leading a crime syndicate,” but was released on July 11. DHA Photo

Mücella Yapıcı, the head of the Chamber of Architecture and a leading figure in the Taksim Solidarity Platform, revealed the horrifying procedure of her detention and release while giving her defense testimony at Istanbul’s Çağlayan courthouse.

Yapıcı has been prominent in Turkey’s nationwide Gezi Park protests and was detained along with other members of the Taksim Solidarity Platform on charges of “leading a crime syndicate,” but was released on July 11.
 
“I was undressed by police, they bent me over, and they made me cough. I am 62-years-old, I was searched naked. I was harassed, I saw young girls being abused. They did not let us go to the toilet,” she said in her testimony, according to Doğan News Agency.

“I was in Taksim Square, I was detained. They surrounded us, they tried to detain my daughter by pulling her hair. I would not let them,” Yapıcı stated.

“I am accused of directing this movement. This is an honor for me and I accept even serving a lifetime for this, but that would be unfair for our people,” she added.

Her defense was listened to by a large crowd of volunteer lawyers, journalists in the courtroom, and they reported her words over social media.

Yapıcı suffers from several chronic diseases are uses 12 different pills for her illnesses, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) president Ahmet Özdemir Aktan told the Hürriyet Daily News when she was detained. In her defense, she stated that her medicine was not given on time.

The panel of judges ruled that there was no concrete evidence for the arrest of her and six others charged with “establishing an illegal organization to commit crime,” including Istanbul Medical Chamber General Secretary Ali Çerkezoğlu.

The police report previously claimed that the platform had managed all the protests across the country, based on documents allegedly seized during the search of Yapıcı’s house.