By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL- It’s a tragic fact that New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) doesn’t have adequate security on duty at any New York City subway station but at every subway station in Istanbul, you can always find plenty of security guards. The last time this situation was questioned, the City of New York said there simply wasn’t any money in the budget to pay for subway station security guards. It’s precisely this situation that led to the tragic injuries of an award-winning Turkish artist Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy when she got her head slammed into a moving New York City subway by an errant homeless man.
The incident might not have happened had the police or a security guard been stationed downstairs or had there been some type of obvious deterrent. The sad fact is that there wasn’t and now Ozsoy is paralyzed, struggling to overcome critical injuries. What’s even more outrageous is that it doesn’t matter whether the station is in an upscale area or not because the raw truth is: no one is coming to save you if you get assaulted in a New York City subway or subway station.
Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy found out the hard way.
New York City is becoming more violent every day whether on the street or on a subway and New Yorkers are standing by without so much as a protest. New Yorkers need to demand that their Mayor Eric Adams do something immediately about the dismal situation in New York City subway stations. Even one assault, attack or murder in a New York City subway station, on a New York subway is one too many.
No wonder New Yorkers recoil when a stranger asks them for directions, they have good reasons.
The question is why is Mayor Adams not responding? Ozsoy’s husband Ferdi Ozsoy has publicly called on Adams to recognize that urgent changes must be made at the MTA and that the lives and well-being of everyone must be safeguarded. Adams claimed his Subway Safety Plan has decreased major subway crime by 18 percent. So where are those 1,200 additional officer overtime shifts daily that are supposed to be keeping everyone safe?
Obviously, Adams plan is far too little, too late. Clearly, everyone isn’t being adequately protected especially during the most crucial times – very early in the morning and very late at night. Mayor Adams in a February 28 news article, said that he started his career as a transit police officer “so I know firsthand that subway safety is public safety.” Ferdi Ozsoy said his wife’s incident highlighted the “pressing need for improvement in the MTA.” He added that his wife’s life has been “profoundly impacted by this tragic act of violence.”
Really, Mayor Adams? Did you factor in Emine Yildiz Ozsoy’s horrific experience on your ‘safe’ New York City subway system? The answer is a resounding NO! The only real solution is for the people of New York to speak out and protest such a heinous situation. Doctors are cautious in their prognosis for Ozsoy, with there being a slim chance, they said, that she might regain movement below her neck. How many more Emine Yilmaz Ozsoys have to suffer before the mayor does something to change this risk factor.
It’s clear that a drastic change is in order. Istanbul’s subway system could provide an example of a clear safety measure taken on one sector of the subway line. In one Istanbul subway station, there is a beautiful, sturdy guard-wall system blocking riders from accessing the subway until it enters the tracks which could prevent a potential attack since an assailant would have no direct access to the subway. It’s all remote controlled and the structure prevents anyone from accessing the subway or tracks prior to its arrival.
Facts are facts. Unless Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul decide that violence has no place on any subway, anywhere in New York City, there will be no change. No change means this won’t be the last time a tragic incident happens in a New York City subway station. What happened to Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy highlights the need for riders, especially women, to be vigilant in observing their surroundings and making a ‘threat assessment’ of their surroundings immediately – remembering never to allow anyone to follow behind you.
New York City and its mayor need to take a lesson from Istanbul’s subway safety record. If Istanbul can provide security guards in its stations, then New York City can do the same. We saw what happens when there are no safety measures. We’re rooting for you Emine! Buyuk Gecmis Olsun.
