2 Police Officers Suspended from Duty in Kemal Kurkut Investigation

Click to read the article in Turkish/Kurdish

Diyarbakır Governorship has declared two police officers have been suspended from duty in the investigation concerning Kemal Kurkut who was shot to death by police during Newroz celebrations in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province.

The governorship in its statement noted that the Ministry of Interior was requested to assign an inspector.

One of two police officers whose testimonies were taken as part of the investigation carried out by Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was released, and the other one sent to court for arrest on charge of “murder with eventual intent” was released on probation.

Furthermore, Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office imposed gag order on the incident.

What happened?

Kemal Kurkut was shot to death by police at security check point on Evrim Alataş street near Newroz Park in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province on March 21.

In the photos taken at the incident time, Kurkut was seen bare-chested quarreling with police at the check point and starting to run passing through the check point. As some of the police fire in the air, some others fire on him.

dihaber reported that Kurkut was shot despite a police chief ordering “Don’t shoot”.

Diyarbakır Governorship 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 yesterday (March 22) in Batalgazi district of Malatya province. (NV/TK)