A 19-year-old suspect accused of killing a police officer during an attempted arrest in İstanbul's Ümraniye district was photographed transported to court in a trash bag and inside an animal control vehicle.
The suspect, identified as Y.E.Ç., had been apprehended for motorcycle theft but fled police custody. During a subsequent attempt to recapture him in the Ihlamurkuyu neighborhood late yesterday, he reportedly grabbed an officer’s weapon and opened fire, killing one officer and injuring another. A passerby and Y.E.Ç.’s mother were also injured in the incident.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that 27-year-old officer Yılmaz had been shot during the confrontation and later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
Yılmaz was honored in a ceremony today at the İstanbul Police Headquarters in the Fatih district. Following the ceremony, Yılmaz’s body was transported to her hometown of Sivas for burial.
Y.E.Ç. was also wounded in the confrontation and taken into custody. İstanbul Police announced that he is being investigated for "intentional murder" and "intentional injury."
After being treated for his injuries, Y.E.Ç. was transferred to İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse today. The suspect, with his arm bandaged, was escorted by two women officers who were pressing his head down and was seen wearing a black trash bag, photos disseminated by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) showed. Also, he was transported in a vehicle from the police’s animal protection department, marked with an "Animal Situation Monitoring" sign.
‘Torture’ criticism from opposition MP
The unusual method of Y.E.Ç.'s transport has drawn criticism. Sevda Karaca, an MP from the Labor Party (EMEP), condemned the authorities for what she described as "torture." In a statement, Karaca questioned why a suspect, particularly one so young, was being subjected to such treatment.
"Who created the social decay that has led to such an increase in youth involvement in crime? Preventing crime, ensuring justice, rehabilitating young offenders, and protecting children from gangs, drugs, and violence through education, healthcare, and social services—isn’t that the government’s responsibility?" Karaca said.
She accused the government and the Interior Ministry of failing to address these responsibilities, instead fostering a system that turns young people into "machines of crime." Karaca continued, "Now they release images of this 19-year-old, turned into a killer, being tortured by police, inciting public anger toward lynching rather than addressing the real issues."
Karaca also called on Interior Minister Yerlikaya to explain why the government has not been able to stop the growth of gangs involved in drugs, arms trafficking, prostitution, and exploitation under state protection. "Is your job to stir primitive feelings of revenge, or to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place?" she asked, challenging the minister to take responsibility for the conditions that led to the incident. (VK)