Police Who Shot Kemal Kurkut to Death is Still on Duty

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First hearing of the trial on Kemal Kurkut, who was shot to death during Newroz celebration in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır, was held at Diyarbakır 7th Heavy Penal Court today (December 14).

Going to the Newroz celebrations from Malatya province, Kurkut was shot to death by police at security check point on Evrim Alataş street near Newroz Park. An indictment was prepared against Y.Ş. seven months after the incident on charge of “eventual murder intent” demanding lifetime imprisonment.

The request that the defendant police be arrest was denied.

The only defendant police officer Y.Ş., who is still actively on duty, attended the hearing. The demand for his arrest was denied again.

The next hearing is on April 26, 2018.

What happened?

Kemal Kurkut was shot to death by police at security check point on Evrim Alataş street near Newroz Park in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province on March 21.

In the photos taken at the incident time, Kurkut was seen bare-chested quarreling with police at the check point and starting to run passing through the check point. As some of the police fire in the air, some others fire on him.

dihaber reported that Kurkut was shot despite a police chief ordering “Don’t shoot”.

Diyarbakır Governorship declared that Kurkut had a knife in his hand, he was “suspected to be a suicide attacker”, and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Born in Adıyaman, Kurkut was a student at İnönü University Fine Arts Faculty Department of Music.

His funeral was held on March 22 in Batalgazi district of Malatya province. (AS/TK)