The murder of the former Ülkü Ocakları (Grey wolves) President Sinan Ateş promises to be one of the most politically significant homicides in Turkey in recent years. The identities of the detainees and the ruling coalition’s silence on the matter also indicate an extensive and deeply complicated case. People from Sinan Ateş’ neighborhood say that they are confused, disappointed and angry.
Sinan Ateş’ family still lives in the Osmangazi neighborhood in the Bursa province, where he grew up. Osmangazi is a modest working-class neighborhood, adorned with old buildings and quiet and narrow streets. There was a tense and gloomy mood in the air. People knew that I was an outsider and their piercing gaze communicated that they knew why I was there.
The Ateş family home is an old duplex. In the front is a pop-up canopy tent for the funeral guests. It was about 12 o’clock when I made my way towards the tent. There were six people in front of the tent gathered around a fire. One of the men trying to stay warm was Sinan Ateş’ father, Musa Ateş. He remained in front of the house until late afternoon, greeting guests. Sinan Ateş’ wife and daughters were inside.
As I offered my condolences, people asked how I knew Ateş. I told them that I am a journalist, here to write a story. Some of the men in the tent were his friends, others his relatives. They were friendly, but tight-lipped. However, they did not hesitate to answer questions regardless.
A murder seen coming from a mile down the road
We began by interviewing those more inclined to talk. They said that Ateş’ murder wasn’t that surprising for anyone who follows the nationalist politics. There have been many stories of Ateş receiving death threats in the past. Those close to him said that he had been receiving death threats for over a month. One of the men said that in the nationalist cultural hierarchy, physical violence, public derision, and humiliation exist as methods of punishment; but murder is not a part of the culture.
“You can slap someone. You can summon him, berate him, and slap him around. You can humiliate and humble him sometimes. But how could you commit murder?”
“He might have lived had he traveled by car”
Another relative of Ateş’ said that he had been traveling with a bodyguard and his cousin, Selman Bozkurt, since he began receiving death threats. While he preferred walking to the Friday sermon at the mosque, he had been driving to the mosque as of late. But on the day of the murder, Ateş decided to walk to the service. His relative said, “Maybe he would have lived if he traveled by car. Fate is cruel.”
The men did not want to disclose if anyone from the government or the ruling coalition got in touch with them. Right at this moment two civilian vehicles with emergency lights pull up to the tent. A mob of officials from the National Path Party stepped out: A newly established, small nationalist party. They first offered their condolences to the men in the tent, prayed for Ateş and then entered the house and offered their condolences to Ateş’ wife, Ayşe. Afterwards, the officials took their leave.
Father Musa thanked them for their well wishes but didn’t talk much. After the mid-day call to prayer, the relatives started moving about. They said that they were making preparations for the ceremony that would follow the evening call to prayer. We split ways and I began walking around the neighborhood. I see Sinan Ateş’ name graffitied on walls.
“Almost no one goes to Bursa Grey Wolves chapter anymore”
Shopkeepers in the neighborhood were hesitant to talk about Ateş’ murder. Local journalists say that no one in the nationalist cliques knew much about the motive for Ateş’ murder either, except his family. Despite the lack of clarity, Ateş’ murder has left a nontrivial scar in the local nationalist youth’s psyche; particularly in those who considered Ateş a role model. Some I interviewed said: “Almost no one goes to Bursa Grey Wolves chapter anymore.”
There was a ceremony held in a mosque not too far from Ateş’ grave. Ateş’ relatives told me that up to 20 thousand people could be in attendance. At that time, there were about 4 thousand people in the mosque courtyard. Ateş’ father continued to accept condolences. One of the people in attendance was İYİ Party’s spokesperson Kürşad Zorlu–a party born out of the main nationalist party MHP but is currently the opposition coalition’s main partner. The look of anger and disappointment on the faces of the attendees was all too obvious during the ceremony.
During the ceremony, I conversed with the few fellow journalists that came to cover the event. As we were talking, a young man came up to us and offered us a photo of Ateş, to be fastened on to our lapels with a safety pin; as is the tradition. We informed him that as journalists, we refrain from pinning on the photo of the deceased at funerals. However, he kindly insisted, saying “you wouldn’t be partial even if you wore it. ” We accepted his picture, but did not pin it on.
Medyascope'u destekle. Medyascope'a abone ol.
Medyascope’u senin desteğin ayakta tutuyor. Hiçbir patronun, siyasi çıkarın güdümünde değiliz; hangi haberi yapacağımıza biz karar veriyoruz. Tıklanma uğruna değil, kamu yararına çalışıyoruz. Bağımsız gazeteciliğin sürmesi, sitenin açık kalması ve herkesin doğru bilgiye erişebilmesi senin desteğinle mümkün.
Selman Bozkurt was in attendance
Selman Bozkurt, a cousin and bodyguard to the deceased, was also in attendance. Bozkurt was hit in the shoulder during the drive-by shooting and had been recovering at the hospital for his gunshot wound for about a week in Ankara.. Bozkurt was discharged from the hospital on that day, gave his statement to the police, and made his way to Bursa to attend the funeral..
A call for introspection
One of the young men I talked to said that he was following the story closely and as the names of the detainees emerged, he had begun to question his own ideology: “The nationalist movement has to contend with the inclination for violence it harbors.” Another one said: “This murder can only be solved if Erdoğan allows it.”
Those close to Ateş were bitter, particularly with the MHP’s silence on his murder. Many stated that their silence made no sense at all. And the more detainees were found to be connected to the MHP, the more irrevocably alienated from the party they felt. I also found out that hundreds of the MHP members who avoided making public statements were also disturbed by the murder and had reached out to the family privately to offer condolences.
Allah-u Akbar and a vows for revenge
Following the funeral, the crowd met in front of the mosque. People up front revealed a large banner displaying Sinan Ateş. Another group brandished Turkish flags. The crowd cried “Allah-u Akbar”(God is great) as they marched towards Ateş’ grave, some 500 meters away. The takbir(chanting of “Allah-u akbar”) were occasionally interrupted by psalms, but eventually, the psalms quickly gave way to vows of revenge that enveloped the entirety of the crowd.
“May god curse those who know but will not speak”
As the crowd marched, they chanted, “Whoever put their hands on Sinan, may their hands break,” “We are all Sinan. We are ready to be martyrs,” “A tooth for a tooth, blood for blood, Revenge.” And as they arrived at their fallen comrades grave, they sang their nationalist anthem. Afterwards, the crowd fell silent in prayer. The imam leading the prayer cried: “May God curse those who know but conceal it, those who do not see it, those who do not speak it. May he curse all those involved.”
The overwhelming majority of the demonstrators and supporters were middle-aged men. However, other passerbyers, elderly women and young girls also showed their support as they flashed the nationalist sign; a hand gesture similar to the sign of the horns used by heavy metal fans, but meant to symbolize the head of a wolf: Turkey’s national animal. However, the crowd’s fervor wasn’t shared by all as many others on the street gazed nervously towards Ateş’ grave. The crowd began to disperse around 20:30.
The silence that had commanded Ateş family’s neighborhood earlier in the day had abdicated its rule to chants of rage. It is certain that there is great turmoil among the nationalists at the moment; however, it is impossible to predict if their rage will lead to political change. Not every nationalist I spoke to directed their anger in the same way. Though they have lost a loved one, as of now, there is no one single entity they hold responsible. Or at least, none they are willing to disclose. And those who do have a solid idea as to whom to blame, are hesitant to reveal it.
The original of the article appeared on January 8, 2023 on https://medyascope.tv/2023/01/08/sinan-atesin-buyudugu-mahalleden-izlenimler-genc-ulkuculerde-hayal-kirikligi-ve-ofke-bir-arada/. Edited for Medyascope English by Murat Türsan.
