Kaan Kütük was one of hundreds of young people unlawfully detained during protests sparked by the arrest and cancelation of the university diploma of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoğlu. Kütük, who worked as a motor courier to support himself, was tortured during his arrest and subsequently imprisoned after attempting to protect a young woman from police violence in Istanbul's Saraçhane district on Sunday, 23 March, a day when police brutality reached its peak.

His mother, Candan Kütük, who joined the Mothers and Fathers Solidarity Network founded by families of imprisoned youths demanding her son’s release, spoke to ANF.

Noting that one of the shoes left behind, symbolizing the police torture inflicted that night, belonged to her son, Kütük emphasized that Kaan, who was dragged away by the police wearing only his socks and has been imprisoned in Marmara Prison for the past 16 days, continues to suffer pain caused by police torture.

Tortured while trying to protect a young woman from police violence

Candan Kütük, who couldn't overcome the shock of the events, emphasized that her 23-year-old son, Kaan Kütük, a motor courier, became the target of police torture while attending a rally with his friends in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district on Sunday, March 23, as he tried to protect a young woman from police violence.

Describing how her son Kaan saw police kicking a young woman and intervened to protect her, Kütük said: "First, they sprayed pepper gas directly into my son’s face, and then three police officers brutally beat him. My son was beaten with batons and helmets for several minutes while he lay on the ground. As if this weren’t enough, they also split his head open with the butt of a gun. Already overwhelmed by the pepper spray, my son lost consciousness due to this torture. After that, the police grabbed him by the arms and dragged him along the ground while detaining him. When they took him away, he had no shoes on his feet."

Handcuffed from behind and left bleeding on a police detention bus

Kütük emphasized that her son was held for eight hours, handcuffed from behind and bleeding in a police detention bus. She stated that they first took him to the Vatan Security Directorate, but since there was no space there, he was later transferred to the Gayrettepe Police Station.

As soon as she learned that her son was being held at Gayrettepe Police Station, she went there immediately: "Despite all my insistence, they refused to let me see my son. At around 09:00, when they were taking the detained young people to the hospital, we as families shouted out our children's names, yelling ‘We are here!’ When they saw us shouting, they drove the riot police bus closer to block our view and then took them to Okmeydani SSK Hospital. They prevented us from seeing our children in any way."

Released youths had cigarette burns on their hands

Kütük explained that she could not see her son the following day either, when he was transferred to Çağlayan Courthouse along with the other detained youths. However, she understood the severity of the torture inflicted upon them when she saw the young people who were released by the court. She noted that the youths had cigarette burns on their hands and their faces were bruised from the abuse they had endured. Kütük further explained that her son was unlawfully arrested by the court along with other youths on Monday, 24 March, and was initially sent to Metris Prison, before being transferred to Marmara Prison.

Stitches on his head, and a broken nose 

Kütük pointed out that she was not allowed to see her son even when she went to deliver clothes at Metris Prison. She described the situation: "I learned there that he was going to be transferred to Marmara Prison. As a mother, they did not even allow me five minutes to see my son. Finally, I was able to see him on the second day of Eid al-Fitr at Marmara Prison. His face was completely pale, and his fingernails had grown long.

He told me they had only recently been able to eat properly and have hot food. He had stitches on his head, his face was bruised, his nose was broken, and he complained about pain in his ribs. That’s when he described the police torture he endured. He said that at Gayrettepe Police Station, thanks to a student from Boğaziçi University, he was able to get clean socks and slippers. He explained that while in custody, when they were taken to the hospital for examination, it was done secretly, away from the public eye. He said he was covered in blood from the blow to his head, adding, ‘If you had seen me like that, you wouldn’t have recognized me.’ He had difficulty breathing due to his injured ribs. They took him to the prison infirmary, and the doctor there said he had bruised ribs."

Police must be punished

Kütük stated clearly that she would file a complaint against the police. She said: "How dare you strike my son with the butt of a gun? Who do you think you are? What if my son had suffered a brain hemorrhage, what if he had died—who would have been held accountable? The police brutally beat the child. "e couldn’t even bring ourselves to slap. What did our children do? They were simply exercising their right to protest. Murderers and drug dealers walk freely in the streets, but our children are beaten and imprisoned.

I’m filing a complaint against every single officer involved. Nobody has the right to treat anyone this way. Who do you think you are, to beat my child? Even when my husband loses his temper and curses at my children, I intervene. I’ve struggled and endured hardship all my life to raise my children; I won’t let anyone harm them. When people spoke on social media about police torture, I used to think they were exaggerating. Now I believe they haven’t even described half of what happens. I am filing complaints against all the police involved. They should be arrested and punished. I can't sleep, I can't eat. I’m crying day and night. Our children are innocent; release them immediately!"