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Turkish dailies on Thursday mainly cover the funeral of 15-year-old Gezi protests victim Berkin Elvan, who died on Tuesday after remaining in a coma for 269 days, and the European Parliament's (EP) 2013 progress report on Turkey.
HURRIYET, MILLIYET, HABER TURK, VATAN, and RADIKAL cover the funeral of Elvan, who died in the nine-month-long coma after he was hit in the head with a tear gas canister during last summer's Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. The dailies presented the events with dramatic headlines, such as "Goodbye Little Prince" (RADIKAL), "Berkin in Heaven" (HABER TURK), "A Dove Has Taken Off" (MILLIYET). They also reported the street protests that took place across Turkey in the aftermath of Elvan's death.
Berkin Elvan reportedly was going to buy bread when he was hit by a gas canister in the head during a police crackdown against Gezi protests in Istanbul, on June 16, 2013.
RADIKAL uses the headline “Goodbye little prince” reporting that millions of people bid farewell to Elvan.
HURRIYET says in its front page that the Turkey stood up to bid farewell to Berkin Elvan. “Hundreds of thousands of people are with him on the way to his funeral.”
Newspapers also reported that the European Parliament approved the 2013 progress report for Turkey, criticizing Turkey for setbacks in freedom of speech, and the government's moves after the December 17 anti-graft operations.
VATAN uses the headline "The harshest report" revealing that the report expressed concerns over judicial independence, freedom of speech, political polarization and the reluctance to make a new constitution. Some of the recent constitutional amendments, such as the ones on the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) and the regulation of the Internet, were also criticized in the report.
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