A minibus in which young university student Özgecan Aslan was brutally murdered in the southern city of Mersin may be converted into a monument dedicated to her, said the head of an association of shuttle buses.
Aziz Karakuş of Hatay, a province neighboring Mersin, was the new owner of the minibus in which Aslan was beaten and stabbed to death by the minibus driver in February. He was planning to use the vehicle as a shuttle bus for university students like Özgecan before he found out that it was the notorious van. "I saw an online ad for it and decided to buy it for resell. I did not know it was connected to Özgecan's murder. When I found out, I immediately put it up for sale. I already sold it and the new owner is changing its license plate," he said.
Mehmet Suphi Yılmaz, head of the association of shuttle buses in Hatay that issues licenses for the vehicles, said they would not allow the vehicle to be used as a shuttle bus in Hatay. He said they planned to purchase it from the new owner and preserve it as "a monument" dedicated to Aslan.
Özgecan Aslan, 20, was killed on Feb. 11 by the driver of the minibus she boarded, allegedly when she fended off a rape attempt. The driver confessed to the murder and subsequent burning of the body. Her murder sparked public outrage in Turkey against violence targeting women, and thousands took to the streets to denounce the killing.
