Tragic end to drama at Istanbul courthouse: prosecutor dead, two taken captive
A Turkish prosecutor succumbed to his injuries in hospital late March 31 after a six-hour hostage drama in which security forces killed the man's captors, two suspected members of an outlawed far-left group.
Mehmet Selim Kiraz, the prosecutor in the controversial case into the killing of Gezi victim Berkin Elvan, was taken out of Istanbul's Çağlayan Courthouse by security forces after the clash, seriously injured, but died in hospital, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
"We carried out the negotiation for six hours. But our security forces launched the operation after gunshots were heard while terrorists were speaking on the phone during the negotiation," Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altınok said after the operation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated the security forces for the operation, while also noting that Kiraz was shot five times during the episode, with three bullets hitting his head. Erdoğan added that the perpetrators stormed the prosecutor's room while "wearing lawyer robes."
Early in the day, a photo was released on social media showing someone pointing a gun at the head of Kiraz against the backdrop of a flag of the illegal organization, which was first shared on Twitter by @aysekosan123, suspected to be affiliated with the outlawed far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP/C). The account was hacked soon after. “This account has been seized. Everything is for the TURKISH people,” the hackers wrote in a tweet.
Various Twitter accounts linked to leftist organizations stated that the DHKP/C claimed responsibility for the hostage-taking incident.
According to a statement carried on halkinsesi.tv, a site that is close to the group, the perpetrators gave the authorities until 3:36 p.m. to meet its demands.
The perpetrators’ demands included a live confession by the police officers suspected of killing Elvan, the prosecution of the officers responsible in a “people’s court,” the acquittal of all people being tried for participation in solidarity rallies for Elvan, as well as other requests.
Meanwhile, gunshots were said to have been heard at the building during the hostage-taking process, which took place at 12:36 p.m.
Special teams were dispatched to the scene. It remains unknown how the assailants entered the building with a gun, but police cordoned off the sixth floor of the courthouse where Kiraz’s room is located and evacuated the courthouse.
Istanbul Police Chief Altınok told reporters in the afternoon in front of the courthouse that negotiators were talking with the perpetrators, adding that two people had taken Kiraz hostage.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Orhan Kapıcı said they did not want any "negative incident" and the state’s institutions were “doing what is necessary” to solve the incident.
Speaking to Hürriyet, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Vedat Yiğit said negotiations between the group and the police “continued via a mediator who the group picked.”
Elvan died on March 11, 2014, 269 days after he was sent into a coma when he was struck by a tear-gas canister during the Gezi protests. Kiraz was appointed as the prosecutor of the controversial case six months ago.
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