Ali İsmail Korkmaz Foundation Established

The family members of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, a Gezi Resistance protestors killed in Eskişehir, established a foundation in the name of their son. 

Founded by family members Emel Korkmaz, Şehap Korkmaz, Aylin Taktuk, Melike Çakırkaya and Gürkan Korkmaz, the Ali Ismail Korkmaz Foundation (ALİKEV) will have a symbolic opening ceremony on July 10. 

“Our departure point was my brother’s activities,” Gürkan Korkmaz told bianet.

“Although Ali İsmail was 19 years old, he succeeded what many old people –over 50 years, can’t do. He did a lot of things to disabled people, animals, nature and children. If we give just Ali İsmail’s name to parks or streets, this will be unfair to him. It is possible to make his name live by following his ideas and activities and letting others do as well. This is why we established this foundation,” he said.

Projects

Some of the foundation’s first projects are as follows: Ali İsmail Korkmaz scholarship, Ali İsmail Korkmaz Days For Helping Animals, Ali İsmail Korkmaz Campaign to Pick Plastic Bottle Lids, Ali İsmail Korkmaz Visits to Elderly Houses,  Ali İsmail Korkmaz Loyalty Days to Small Businesses, Ali İsmail Korkmaz Movies Days, Ali İsmail Korkmaz Photography Days and Ali İsmail Korkmaz Garden.  

“We’ll try to do other projects according to needs of the society, individuals’ support and the foundation’s ability,” he added.

“We will organize new projects as we learn more about foundations according to our principles and the society’s needs. We don’t have a building yet, we will consider this according to the support we will receive.” 

Commemoration night

On July 10, the death anniversary of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, a ceremony will be held to symbolically start the foundation in Antakya province. 

Korkmaz’s family declared the commemoration program entitled “From grief move to hope” will start at 6:30 pm at Ali İsmail’s grave.

The program will continue in Sümerler Defne Amphitheater at 8:30 pm by participation of musicians İlkay Akkaya, Hilmi Yarayıcı, Pınar Aydınlar, Tolga Sağ, Barış Atay and Mesreh El Emel Kaldırım Music Community, as well as the families of murdered individuals during the Gezi Resistance.

While Gürkan Korkmaz invited all individuals to come to the ceremony, he also said they would welcome supporters. 

The foundation also launched a website even though most of its content is still in process. When finished, the website aims to include Ali İsmail Korkmaz’s photographs, his life’s story, the projects of the association and a few documents about judiciary process to Korkmaz. (BK/GOA/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.