Police officer who shot Kemal Kurkut acquitted

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Put on trial for killing Kemal Kurkut "with eventual intent", police officer Y.Ş. has been acquitted by the court. In the hearing of the lawsuit held at the Diyarbakır 7th Heavy Penal Court today (November 17), the court has ruled that police officer Y.Ş. shall be acquitted and criminal complaints shall be filed against 72 police officers to identify the possible suspects.

As for the reason for the acquittal, the ruling has referred to "a lack of conclusive and convincing evidence beyond any suspicion which shows that the defendant committed this crime and would suffice for his penalization."

Kemal Kurkut was shot to death during the Newroz celebrations in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır in 2017. Pun on trial in the ensuing lawsuit, Y.Ş. was not remanded in custody.

What happened?

Kemal Kurkut was shot dead by the police at the security checkpoint on Evrim Alataş street near Newroz Park in Diyarbakır on March 21, 2017.

In the photos taken at the incident time, Kurkut was seen bare-chested quarreling with police at the checkpoint and starting to run passing through the checkpoint. Some police officers fired in the air, some fired on him.

Dihaber reported that Kemal Kurkut was shot despite a police chief ordering "Don't shoot". Diyarbakır Governor's Office declared that Kurkut had a knife in his hand, he was "suspected to be a suicide attacker", and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Born in Adıyaman, Kurkut was a student at İnönü University Fine Arts Faculty Department of Music. His funeral was held on March 22 in Battalgazi district of Malatya province. (AS/SD)