On the 1st of June, the police used real bullets in Kızılay Square in Ankara during the Gezi Protests. Ethem Sarısülük, 26, was fatally injured by a bullet to his head. The cameras were recording when Ethem was shot. On the contrary to what might have been expected, the accused police officer was released pending trial. While Ethem lost the battle for his life, his family’s battle for justice that would continue for years had just started. "Cornered against the reasonable and legitimate resistance of the people, the government tried to convey a message to the public by means of the police: 'If you keep on resisting, you will end up like Ethem.' Moreover, the government encouraged the insensitive and action-weary police to increase violence by showing its support. Therefore, the 'Ethem Sarısülük Case' was about to turn into a struggle between the political power and the law. Although the resistance and struggle of the Sarısülük family is not enough to relieve their child’s grief, could it secure and maintain justice? This is the question to which I search for an answer in this documentary." –Gürkan Hacır |