A lawsuit related to the death of Metin Lokumcu, a retired teacher who lost his life on May 31, 2011, in the Hopa district of Artvin, was heard at the Trabzon 2nd High Criminal Court. The court proceedings were attended by CHP MPs Tahsin Ocaklı and Sibel Suiçmez.
The Lokumcu family and their lawyers and the lawyers of the defendants were present at today's hearing.
Motion: Death could not be proved to have been caused by gas
The prosecutor announced their final opinion on the case and requested the acquittal of each of the police officers on trial.
Stating that the police had the authority to use force during protests and that they had made a warning on the day of the incident, the prosecutor said it had not been proven that Lokumcu's death was caused by tear gas.
In the motion, the court stated that the death was caused by a heart attack, which does not mean that it was caused by tear gas.
Meriç Eyüboğlu, the lawyer representing the Lokumcu family, expressed disappointment with the court's final opinion, stating that the evidence and documents they presented had never been considered by the prosecutor. Eyüboğlu expressed hope that the court would reconsider its decision and not perpetuate their disappointment. The lawyer requested additional time to prepare a statement in opposition to the court's opinion.
The court accepted their request for more time. The next hearing will be held on September 6.
In the case, 13 police officers, including provincial and district police chiefs of the period, are on trial for “negligently causing death”.
What happened?
Metin Lokumcu, a retired teacher, lost his life on May 31, 2011, after suffering a heart attack. The incident occurred during a rally in Hopa, Artvin, where then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was speaking at a rally. Lokumcu, who was standing in front of the police with his hands behind his back, was calling out to the officers, "Come on, take me and save the country." This moment was captured by the press.
Following the incident, 70 people were detained as part of the investigation, with 16 of them arrested. However, they were later released.
After Lokumcu's death, Erdoğan mentioned him during a public meeting in Istanbul, stating, "One of them had a heart attack... I don't know his identity... But I don't feel the need to dwell on it... He has died of a heart attack."
The case surrounding Lokumcu's death was initially handled by the local court in Hopa. However, on December 21, 2020, the 5th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation decided to transfer the case to the Trabzon Penal Court of First Instance due to concerns about potential social unrest and security threats.
The Court of Cassation justified its decision, citing the possibility of social incidents and provocations arising. The 5th Penal Chamber concluded that the trial might not be held in an orderly manner, posing a clear and imminent danger to public security.
At the hearing in June 2021, the Trabzon 2nd Penal Court of First Instance gave a decision of lack of jurisdiction. The police officers who were on trial over the death of Lokumcu appealed against this decision foreseeing the case to be held by a high criminal court. With their appeals rejected, the trial is now held at the Trabzon 2nd High Criminal Court.
(EMK/AS/DT)
