Forensic Architecture Announces Report on Tahir Elçi Murder

The Killing of Tahir Elçi - EN from Forensic Architecture on Vimeo.

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Forensic Architecture, a research agency based in the University of London, has released a report of its investigation into lawyer Tahir Elçi's murder.

The report has concluded that three police officers at the scene of the incident are the most likely suspects of the killing.

Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Tahir Elçi was shot dead during a press statement near the Sheik Matar Mosque in Sur district of Southeastern province Diyarbakır on November 28, 2015. Perpetrators have not appeared before a court.

3D model of the incident

Diyarbakır Bar Association applied to the Forensic Architecture for an investigation of the incident.

The Forensic Architecture conducted the investigation using video, documentary and testimonial evidence provided by the Diyarbakır Bar Association as well as other open source material.

"Plain-clothes officers opened fire"

The report has reached the following conclusions:

• The incident was preceded by another shooting, which occurred moments earlier on the adjacent Gazi Avenue. Two members of PKK's (Kurdistan Workers' Party) youth wing (known as the YDG-H) shot two police officers, who later died.
• The two PKK members then fled down Yenikapı Street, where Elçi's press conference was taking place. As the press conference was being filmed, the scene unfolded in front of multiple cameras.
• Plain-clothes police officers at the press conference opened fire at the PKK members as they ran through the scene. The only fatality from this shooting was Elçi, who was shot in the back of the head.

"Fatal shots were not fired by PKK members"

• Tahir Elçi was killed when he was struck by a single bullet fired within the time frame of 7 seconds and 12 frames (07:12), at approximately 10:55 a.m. on 28 November 2015.
• Neither of the two PKK members appear to have fired the fatal shot.

• All of the shots fired in the investigative time frame have similar sonic signatures and show no auditory evidence of a long-range weapon fired from a considerably different distance.
• All of the shots that could have killed Elçi were fired by three Turkish police officers. Neither were ever interviewed as suspects.

"Three officers had a direct line of fire"

• Three police officers at the scene had a direct line of fire towards Elçi and are seen discharging their weapons multiple times (Those officers are labeled in our video investigation as A, C and D).
• C is the only police officer to have a clear unobstructed view towards Elçi while discharging his weapon.
• Following the shooting, Elçi was left unattended and without medical aid for over ten minutes.
• While the investigation does not determine which of the police officers on the scene is responsible for Elçi's death, it does identify the most likely suspects.
• The investigation does not determine whether the lethal shot was fired with the intention of hitting Elçi.

How was the research conducted?

Diyarbakır Bar Association shared material regarding Elçi's killing with the Forensic Architecture.

The files included the videos shot by police officers and press members, civilians' and police officers' testimonies, the reports prepared upon the Bar Association's demand and reports prepared by public authorities in Turkey.

The Forensic Architecture created a 3D model of the Sur district. The report said the following on this model:

"In order to locate Elçi, the PKK members, the police officers, and members of press in space, we used a technique called 'camera calibration'.

"This process estimates camera's internal optical properties, such as its focal length, barrel distortion, and optical center, as well as external parameters such as the camera's position and orientation in relation to identifiable spatial elements.

"Through this process of calibration, we could thus determine the location, orientation, and scale of objects and people within the scene."

The purposes of the investigation

According to the report, the mandate given to Forensic Architecture by the Diyarbakır Bar Association was to determine, using the audio-visual material in the case file, whether it would be possible to:

- Identify the time Elçi was killed.

- Identify the individuals that could have fired the lethal shot.

- Determine whether or not it was possible for Tahir Elçi to have been shot by a long-range weapon fired from outside of Yenikapı street.

- Determine whether the PPK members running down Yenikapı Street should be considered suspects in the killing of Elçi.

- Determine whether and which police officers at the scene should have been considered suspects in the killing.

- Determine whether there was an attempt to offer Elçi with adequate medical aid after he was hit.

(AS/VK)