Turkey: Islamist Justice at Its Best by Burak Bekdil  •  December 9th  It has been 7½ years after Elvan was killed in what appears to be a direct shot in the face. The Turkish state is still trying to make sure that not a single officer will be punished for the tragic death of a 15-year-old boy. Worse, there is no sign of accountability within the Turkish public administration system. The dramatic, undeniable scene was captured by a photographer, Abdurrahman Gök who later posted the photos. Gök is now facing trial for potential links with terror groups and could get up to 20 years in prison. What about the officer who shot Kurkut?... a serious crimes court in Diyarbakır acquitted the defendant, a police officer, known only by his initials, Y.S. Justice, apparently, is too scarce a commodity for Turkish extremists who are often busy protecting Palestinian terrorists and accusing civilized nations of modern barbarism. The Australian story could be an example of modern barbarism.... but it has a fair ending. The Turkish stories of medieval barbarism in the 21st century do not. On December 28, 201,1 a group of Kurdish peasants were smuggling cheap gasoline into their Turkish village from northern Iraq. Turkish F-16 fighter jets attacked the group, killing 34 people, including 17 children. Under public pressure, the Erdoğan administration launched an investigation into the attack. Not a single official was found guilty. Pictured: The funeral procession for the victim, outside Uludere Hospital in Sirnak province, on December 30, 2011. (Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images) Barely a week after he pledged judicial and democratic reforms, Turkey's strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, typically rediscovered his Islamist self. He reminded the world, once again, how corrupt and hypocritical his understanding of universal justice is. "We observe that the [Israeli] state terror against Palestinians goes on," Erdoğan said in a speech in which he complained of injustice. "Arms up, Palestinian children are being murdered." Continue Reading Article