Dead toddler's father wants tougher gun control
The father of a Scottish toddler killed by a stray bullet in a Turkish resort said today he hoped that tougher gun control laws would serve as a tribute to his son.
David Grimason was speaking after the latest hearing in the trial of the man accused of killing two-year-old Alistair and a Turk.
The boy had been sleeping in his pram during a fight at the café in the Aegean tourist resort of Foca, some 30 miles north of Izmir.
Two men involved in the confrontation recounted the fight during an hour long session of the trial in Izmir today, Mr Grimason said.
The boy’s mother Ozlem, his grandparents – who are also serving as the family’s lawyers – and accused Daimi Akyuz were among those who attended.
The trial was adjourned until April 30.
“It’s such a horrible feeling walking in there, seeing the accused sitting there,” Mr Grimason said. ”It’s difficult. He’s the man who ruined your life and took away your son’s.”
Akyuz told the court in December that he pulled out his gun to scare the dead man with no intention of firing it and that the gun went off beyond his control. A Turkish man, Ali Bektas, was also killed, and two others were injured.
The boy’s parents are lobbying for stricter gun laws in Turkey.
“I hope that a lot of politicians will take a stance on this,” David Grimason said. “It’s unfortunate that it takes something like this to shed light on this problem.”
“If things do improve, I hope it will be a tribute to him. If Alistair’s case highlights that, so be it.”
A licence is required to carry a gun in Turkey, but gun control advocates say purchasing a gun is easy.
What is more, smuggled weapons are readily available, contributing to hundreds of firearms deaths annually.
