Former PM Davutoğlu to testify in Tahir Elçi murder case

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Former PM AHmet Davutoğlu will be heard as a witness in the case concerning the 2015 killing of Tahir Elçi, the then-chair of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, the court decided today (June 15).

Elçi was shot dead in the Kurdish-majority province of Diyarbakır while speaking to reporters on November 28, 2015.

In the case, three police officers are charged with "causing death by gross negligence" and one member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is charged with "causing death by eventual intent."

At today's hearing, an attorney of the Elçi family, Erdal Doğan, said there is not a "real trial" because the court did not hear the then PM Davutoğlu. The family's attorneys demanded Davutoğlu be heard in the next hearing.

The prosecutor demanded the rejection of this request but the court ruled that the former PM should be heard in the next hearing, which will take place on November 13.

CLICK - Lawyers demand Ahmet Davutoğlu be heard at Tahir Elçi murder case

About the indictment

The indictment was lodged by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on March 26, 2020 and accepted by the 10th Heavy Penal Court on April 3, 2020. While there are five complainants, including the wife of late lawyer Türkan Elçi, in the 40-page indictment, there are four accused suspects, among whom are also three police officers.

Police officers S.T., M.S. and F.T. face the charges of "causing death by culpable negligence" as per the Article 85/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The indictment demands 2 to 6 years in prison for the officers.

Uğur Yakışır, the other suspect, also faces the charges of "wilful killing, killing with eventual intent, opposition to Law no. 6136 on Firearms and Knives, disrupting the unity of the state and integrity of the country, damaging property." The indictment demands aggravated life sentence for Yakışır, who is also accused of murdering police officers Cengiz Erdur and Ahmet Çiftaslan, who were killed on the same day with Tahir Elçi.

What happened?

Tahir Elçi attended a live TV program on CNN Türk hosted by Ahmet Hakan on October 15, 2015. Elçi said, "The PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] is not a terrorist organization." While the channel was fined 700 thousand lira over these words, Tahir Elçi was detained in his office in Diyarbakır Bar Association and taken to İstanbul on November 20.

While the prosecutor's office referred Elçi to court with a request for his arrest, the Bakırköy 2nd Heavy Penal Court released him on probation. A bill of indictment was brought against Elçi on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." Elçi faced up to 7.5 years in prison.

Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Tahir Elçi was murdered while making a statement for the press in front of the Four-Legged Minaret in Sur, Diyarbakır on November 28, 2015. (RT/VK)