Nuh Köklü’s Murder Suspect Arrested

Serkan A. has been arrested for the premeditated murder of Nuh Köklü - a journalist who has been killed by a shop owner in Istanbul while playing snowball. 

“The incident happened because they threw snowballs at my shop and heated me badly,” he defended himself. 

Farewell with snowballs

On the other hand, the funeral of Nuh Köklü has been held this afternoon in Ankara.

The funeral was attended by a crown including Republican People's Party (CHP) Vice Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu, CHP deputiesMelda Onur and Hüseyin Aygün, as well as Anatolia Party Chairwoman Emine Ülker Tarhan, Freedom and Solidarity Party C-Chair Alper Taş and other union members, journalists, family and friends of Köklü.

Prior to the burial, Köklü’s friends and mother Çiğdem Köklü put snowballs on his coffin.

What happened?

On the night of February 17, 15 activists from Yeldeğirmeni Solidarity Group including Nuh Köklü held a protest with masks in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district against the draft of Turkey’s new Homeland Security Act. 

According to Yeldeğirmeni Solidarity Group, the incident took place as follows: 

“A snowball hit a spice shop window in Karakolhane Street. The shop waiter lost his temper and shouted to the group even though they tried to calm him. Later on, he ran back into the shop shouting ‘I will take my gun and kill you all. I have a medical report. I will go out of prison the day after.’ 

“The shop waiter attacked the group with a baseball bat. The group took the bat from his hands. Then he went back into the shop and assaulted again with a knife. He attacked towards a woman and another person whose jacket was torn. 

“When the aggressor has cornered somebody near the trash bin, Nuh Köklü went for help. Having fallen off, Köklü was stabbed in his chest. 

“After the neighborhood dwellers protested the aggressor, shop windows were broken. It has nothing to do with throwing snowballs.” (BK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.