Under Investigation For Filing Harassment Complaint Against Police Officers

An investigation is under way against Tutku Türkol, a reader of daily Birgün, who had filed a complaint against police officers for apprehending her in Kadıköy/İstanbul on September 5 for having a copy of Birgün and keeping in the station and harassing both verbally and physically.

Today (December 5) Türkol gave her statement at the Kadıköy Prosecutor’s Office about the complaint she had made against the police officers three months ago.

Dikmen: I am having hard time convincing the prosecutor

Türkol’s lawyer Kerem Dikmen told bianet that he was having hard time to have the authorities move against the police officers: “At his level, I am supposed to convince the judge, but I am trying to convince the prosecutor instead.”

Dikmen also says that the prosecutor is not convinced because Türkol’s name does not appear in any of the records in the police station.

Türkol, also a member of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), who filed a complaint against five police officers for “harassment”, “insult” and “malpractice”, told bianet that she was being harassed by telephone and therefore she was worried, scared of going out.

Complaint from Türkol, protest from the ÖDP

The victim claimed that the police had taken her copy of Birgün and ripped it to pieces, while asking her why she was reading it and from where she way buying it. Following this, she was apprehended and kept in the station for a while, being verbally and physically harassed in the process.

On September 9, a group from the ÖDP had protested the incident by reading Birgün in front of the police station where Türkol was taken into custody. The party members had supported Türkol in front of Kadıköy Justice Hall while she was filing her complaint. (EÖ/TB)