Kürkçü, Tanal Acquitted

HDP Honorary Chair Ertuğrul Kürkçü and CHP İstanbul MP Mahmut Tanal have been acquitted of the charges “opposing to the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting to hinder the fulfillment of duty.”

İstanbul

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On September 7, 2014, a lift carrying workers in the construction of Torun Center in the district of Mecidiyeköy in İstanbul dropped from the 32nd floor and claimed the lives of 10 workers.

* Ertuğrul Kürkçü took this photograph on the scene of incident.

Two years later, a lawsuit was filed against the Honorary Chairperson of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ertuğrul Kürkçü and İstanbul MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Mahmut Tanal, who supported the group that protested the incident.

In the case, where Kürkçü and Tanal faced seven years in prison on charges of "opposing to the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations" and "resisting to hinder fulfilment of duty", the court announced its verdict today (October 4).

The hearing, which was held at the İstanbul 22nd Penal Court of First Instance, was attended by the attorneys of Kürkçü and Tanal.

In his statement of defense, Tanal stated that he has been an MP and made a statement by using the Anti-Riot Water Cannon Vehicle (TOMA) as a platform. Emphasizing that the lawsuit was filed due to his political identity, Tanal demanded his acquittal.

Speaking on behalf of his client Ertuğrul Kürkçü, attorney Mustafa Bayram Mısır said that Kürkçü left the scene after the statement for the press ended.

The court board ruled that Tanal and Kürkçü be acquitted.

What happened?

On September 7, 2014, a lift carrying workers in the construction of Torun Center on the area of the former Ali Sami Yen Stadium dropped from the 32th floor, killing 10 workers.

The workers who had lost their lives in the incident were Tahir Kara, Hıdır Ali Genç, İsmail Sarıtaş, Bilal Bal, Cengiz Tatoğlu, Murat Usta, Menderes Meşe, Vahdet Biçer, Ferdi Kara, Cengiz Bilgi.

On the same day, workers' unions who wanted to protest the incident were prohibited upon which the MPs Kürkçü and Tanal had meetings with the police in order to get permission for holding press statements.

In the hearing on October 27, 2016 a 103-page expert report was submitted to the court. The report stated that those who were responsible for the incident could not be identified with certainty. (EMK/SD)

Origin

BIA News Desk

CHP mahmut tanal hdp occupational homicides Ertûgrûl Kurkçu Ertuğrul Kürkçü ertugrul kürkçü Ertugrul Kurkçu Ertûgrûl Kûrkçû

Muse postpones İstanbul concert amid anti-government boycott

The organizer of the concert scheduled for June came under fire after labeling the ongoing boycott campaign as "treason," which resulted in their inclusion in the campaign as well.

BIA News Desk

Muse postpones İstanbul concert amid anti-government boycott — Wikimedia Commons

British rock band Muse has announced the postponement of its upcoming concert in İstanbul, originally scheduled for June, amid an ongoing boycott campaign in Turkey that targets companies perceived as close to the government.

“After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will now be postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved," the band said on social media.

The concert was organized by DBL Entertainment, a company that came under the spotlight after its owner labeled the ongoing boycott as "treason," prompting its inclusion in the campaign.

Public outrage against the company led Norwegian singer Ane Brun and South African comedian Trevor Noah to cancel their scheduled shows in Turkey organized by the same company, following appeals from their fans in the country.

The boycott campaign was initiated by the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) following the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Mar 19. Party leader Özgür Özel cited the mainstream media's lack of coverage of the massive protests against the mayor's detention as the reason for the boycott, calling on the public to avoid patronizing companies affiliated with the same business conglomerates as those media outlets.

The boycott expanded to a nationwide one-day no-shopping action today, urging people to avoid all forms of spending.

After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will be now postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved.

Thank you for your ongoing support, it means everything to…
— muse (@muse) April 2, 2025