ISTANBUL - The family of musician Cihan Aymaz, who was murdered after he did not sing the song "I die for my Turkey" in Kadıköy, stated that the racist attacker was "drunk" and that the murder is wanted to be covered up.

 

Street musician Cihan Aymaz, 30, who sang in Kurdish with the music system he set up with his own means, was killed in the attack of the racist aggressor Mehmet Caymaz, who asked him to sing the song "I die for my Turkey" on the evening of May 2, in Istanbul Kadıköy Rıhtım. Caymaz, who was taken into custody after the attack, admitted that he asked Aymaz to play the song at the prosecutor's office, but Aymaz and his entourage refused this request. Caymaz was arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace, to which he was referred with a request for arrest, on the charge of "deliberate killing" instead of "racist attack".

 

Aymaz, who was born in the Digor district of Kars, had to immigrate with his family to Istanbul in 1996 due to economic reasons. Aymaz, who works in the transportation business with his family during the day, has been a street musician in Kadıköy Rıhtım in the evenings for about 2 years. Aymaz, who is the second child of a family with 5 children, has left a painful family and a sound system that he made music.

 

Father Hayrettin Aymaz stated that his son was murdered by people supported by the state, while mother Birgül Aymaz demanded justice.

 

CİHAN HAD DREAM OF BEING A GREAT ARTIST

 

Stating that they have been living in Istanbul for 30 years and dealing with the transportation business, Aymaz said: Cihan has always been a very hardworking and respectful person. Normally, he was a freight forwarder during the day and sang folk songs in Kadıköy as a hobby in the evenings. He always said, 'Daddy, I'm going to be a great singer'. He was very cheerful and in solidarity with his friends. Go ask Rıhtım for him, everyone knows my son. He has not harmed anyone so far.”

 

'THE MURDERER ARE WANTED TO BE COVERED'

 

Emphasizing that human life is "very cheap" in Turkey, father Aymaz said: "The reason why Kurds are attacked so much is racism. My son was not killed by a thinner or drunken blow. It is not a simple thing for a professional, knife in hand, to come out of millions of people and kill my son in a place where the police are swarming all over. They want to cover up the murder by saying that he is drunk.”

 

'THE MURDERER KILLED MY SON CONSCIOUSLY'

 

Father Aymaz, who was worried that the attacker would be released on the grounds that he was "drunk" even though he was arrested, said: "Either they give a small sentence or they let him be released. In some news, it is said that the person who killed my son was 'drunk', 'killed by someone who attacked around', but my son was deliberately murdered because my child was singing in Kurdish there. My child was brutally murdered. I think my son was killed by a state-sponsored person. We will not let this thing go until the end.”

 

'WHAT DOES IT ONLY HAPPEN TO THE KURDS?’

 

Uncle Osman Aymaz also stated that the AKP built a fascist system during its 21-year rule, and said: "Most people were brought against each other during this process.  Nephew was murdered because of his opposition and Kurdish identity. We don't see someone who sings in Turkish in society be killed or anything happens to him, why does it only happen to Kurds? We want to understand, until when will our young people be killed like this? We do not accept this.”

 

MA / Esra Solin Dal