Police ‘realized Bülent Kılıç was a journalist when he was taken to police station’

* Photo: Ozan Acıdere

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Provincial Security Directorate of İstanbul has released a written statement about Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, who was subjected to police violence and detained while following up the 19th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride March on June 26.

The statement of the Security Directorate has indicated that it was when Kılıç was taken to the Beyoğlu District Security Directorate that it was realized he was a journalist. The statement reads:

"The Sub-Governor's Office of Beyoğlu gave a decision of ban for one (1) day with regards to the illegal demonstration and march planned to be held by groups from the LGBT in the vicinity of İstiklal Avenue and Taksim Republic Monument on June 26, 2021.

"Not abiding by the related decision, the groups from the LGBT insisted on holding a march; they were repeatedly warned by our officers.

"However, of the groups who responded by resisting the officers despite all warnings, forty-six (46) were caught and a legal action was taken.

"It is understood that among the ones caught alongside the group displaying resistance while the illegal demonstration was prevented was unfortunately press member Bülent Kılıç as well.

"During the proceedings at the Beyoğlu District Security Directorate, the aforementioned press member stated that he was on duty as a press member and that he pressed charges against the related personnel; his statement was taken and he was released after this."

'They wanted to kill me'

Kılıç was released from detention in the evening on June 26. Making a statement on social media following his release, he referred to the killing of journalist Metin Göktepe in police detention in 1996:

"They tried to make an attempt on my life, they wanted to leave me breathless. Whoever did this to me, I will bring them to account before the Constitutional Court, European Court of Human Rights or before whatever court of the world. As long as I live, it will be answered for at court.

"The evil that killed Metin Göktepe in the Eyüp Sports Hall tried to make me breathless by pressing my neck today, but they have failed. The people thankfully claimed their journalist. All friends mobilized. It is not that easy. We have some unfinished business."

'Level of violence getting out of control'

Speaking to Dilan Aykıran from the ANKA news agency, Bülent Kılıç has recounted his detention briefly as follows:

"While I was lifting up my camera, the police held me by the wrist and pushed the camera against my face; I got angry as a result of this and told him to calm down. And he asked me for my ID. I was about to reach for my bag but, without finding the opportunity to do so, they started dragging me towards the other side of the barricade, to the side street.

"While I was trying to put the cameras in my hand on my neck so that they would not get broken, the police snatched the camera and smashed it. As the camera was thrown on the ground, I understood that it was getting out of control. There was an uncontrolled horror, aggressiveness.

"They forced me to lie on the ground; it was very hot, I had my mask on, four officers were on top of me and one of them was pressing my neck. I said to myself, 'I am not long for this world.' I got breathless.

"If there is anyone who thinks what happened there is not really important, if there is anyone who argues that it is something not considered, just let them take four people on their backs and see what kind of a feeling breathlessness and this sense of 'I am about to die' is."

Indicating that he has been professionally doing war photography for 10 years, Kılıç has said, "The risk that I took there was at the same level as the risk that I take in a war zone. Because they tried to kill me. If people had not reacted there and if I had been on the adjacent dark street, the İmam Adnan Street, my dead body would have come out of there."

Kılıç has indicated that the Vice Provincial Director of Security and Beyoğlu Security Director came to take him from the bus where the detained were held. Kılıç has explained what happened as follows:

This level of violence that they have reached is getting out of control. The Vice Provincial Director of Security and Beyoğlu Security Director came to take me from the bus. They took me out, brought me to their room and apologized. This reached a very dangerous level, they saw it as well. Which security director could shoulder the killing of a journalist in the Pride Week? They saw and understood this.

Criminal complaint against police officers

Bülent Kılıç has also said that the police officer who took him into custody tightened the handcuffs too much:

"They did not take off the handcuffs from my arm for half an hour; they tried to cut it with a knife, they would almost cut my arm. How tight that officer handcuffed me, what kind of a love problem, what kind of a human problem he has, he was about to dismember my arm."

Noting that the police took his camera, which has become unusable, for repair, he has announced that he will file a criminal complaint against the police officers. (HA/SD)