Büşra Genel
Defendants gave additional statements this week in the ongoing trial of 23 individuals who were violently detained by police during a 2021 commemoration of the Suruç massacre in Turkey’s capital. One of the defendants, Barış Deniz Kuş, said he was subjected to police torture during the protest.
The 12th hearing of the trial was held on Friday, Nov. 21, at the 68th Criminal Court of First Instance in Ankara. The defendants face charges of “violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting to prevent the execution of public duty.”
Barış Deniz Kuş, along with defense attorneys Sidal Bayrak—representing defendants Ertürk Soysal and Birkan Polat—and Ömer Faruk Yazmacı, representing Zeynep Ülger, were present in the courtroom.
Kuş, who was previously ordered to appear in person to give his defense, reaffirmed his earlier statements and said he had been tortured by police during the event.
“In my defense statement, I want to repeat that one police officer pinned me to the ground and pressed his knee against my throat, while other police officers kicked me,” said Kuş. “I did not attack the police or commit any act of violence. I reject the charges and request to be acquitted.”
Attorneys for the defense requested that procedural deficiencies in the case be addressed.
Two additional defendants, Emre Can Konyalı and Birkan Polat, appeared via video link (SEGBİS) and reiterated their original statements, denying the charges and requesting acquittal.
The presiding judge postponed the trial until Jan. 16, 2026, to allow time for the remaining defense statements to be completed.
Background on the case:
On July 20, 2021, a group gathered in Ankara to commemorate the victims of the Suruç massacre, a 2015 suicide bombing in the southeastern town of Suruç, near the Syrian border. The attack, widely attributed to the Islamic State, killed 33 activists and injured over 100 people.
During the 2021 commemoration in Ankara, demonstrators attempted to march from Olgunlar Street to Güvenpark. Police intervened harshly and detained 23 individuals, who later alleged that they were tortured while in custody.
The 23 detainees were charged with “resisting to prevent the execution of public duty” and “violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.” The trial has since become a flashpoint for discussions on police violence and freedom of assembly in Turkey.
