Operation in Istanbul Courthouse: Hostage-Takers, Prosecutor Dead

Special-ops units held an operation against the hostage-takers in Istanbul Courthouse, killing all 2 Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front (DHKC) members and evacuating the abducted prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz in an ambulance who died later on in the hospital around 10:55pm local time. 

The incident took place for about 30 minutes after gunshots were heard at 8:30pm.  

Previously, around 8pm, it was announced on Twitter that the negotiation delegation left the courthouse premisses.

Activists asked for Berkin Elvan’s murder suspect names

On the other hand, Cumhuriyet newspaper journalist Ahmet Şık interviewed the hostage-takers over the phone.

According to Cumhuriyet newspaper, the militants said that they handed in the license numbers of policemen who were top suspect in the murder case of Berkin Elvan - a juvenile Gezi Resistance protestor who died on March 11 last year due to a long comatose after hit by a police gas canister in 2013.  Militants said they will end their protest if the 3 top policemen suspects’ names were announced. 

Responding to an inquiry, DHKC militant also added that they weren’t not advocates in profession - a detail that stirred curiosity on how they entered the courthouse with a weapon.  

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.