Ankara Bar Files Complaint Against Pro-Government Daily Güneş for 'Crimes Against Humanity'

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Ankara Bar Association has filed a complaint against the pro-government Güneş newspaper for a story it published on the same day when the Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair was attacked at the funeral of a soldier.

The petition of complaint has been submitted to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to be sent to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office at the Çubuk district, where the attack happened.

The petition requested that Turgay Güler, the editor-in-chief of the Güneş, those who attempted a lynch on Kılıçdaroğlu, the instigators, and those who were determined by the Prosecutor's Office to join the attack be tried for "crimes against the humanity" upon Article 77 of the Turkish Penal Code and "provoking the people into hatred and animosity and insulting the people" upon the Turkish Penal Code Article 216.

Why it is a "crime against humanity?"

The Bar said in the petition that the incident was "not momentary or coincidental."

"The incident is planned. What was lived constitutes a crime against humanity. The crimes against humanity are defined in Article 77 of the No. 5237 Turkish Penal Code as systematically performing the mentioned acts against one part of the society with political, philosophical, racial or religious motives.

"In this case, there is a political cause. Besides, the move was against a part of the society upon a plan and it was aimed at getting a result. Although the aimed results were not realized, those who help planning the mentioned offense, those who planned it and those who attended this planned act."

Why is the Güneş held responsible?

The Bar showed the evidence of a story on the Güneş as evidence for the attack being "planned and systematic."

The newspaper's headline on April 21 said, "Are You Happy Ekrem?" addressing Ekrem İmamoğlu, the newly elected Mayor of İstanbul, in a story about the four soldiers who lost their lives in a clash with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

It also published the positive comments by İmamoğlu on Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which is often accused of "affiliation with the PKK."

The Bar said, "This title shows that the incident was planned and systematic and it was expected by the newspapers and the press who make provocative publications."

What happened?

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was attacked by a group of people in Çubuk, Ankara on April 21 after at the funeral of Yener Kırıkçı, a soldier who lost his life during the military operations on the Turkey-Iraq border are in the southeastern province of Hakkari.

The group first booed the CHP Chair, chanting the slogan, "PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] out." After the funeral, they attacked him. The ones accompanying him tried to protect Kılıçdaroğlu, who was then taken to a safe house.

Kılıçdaroğlu then left the house in an armored vehicle. For one and a half hours, when CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu was in the house, the attacks of the group continued.

Having also attended the funeral, Hulusi Akar, the Minister of National Defense, addressed the attacker in following words:"My esteemed friends, you gave your message, you have shown your reaction, now disperse."

(AS/VK)