Nalin Öztekin
Four police officers are on trial in Ankara for allegedly torturing human rights lawyer Oğuzcan Ozan Kurt during his 2021 detention, in a case that has drawn attention from legal associations and rights groups across Turkey. The 11th hearing of the case was held at the Ankara 16th High Criminal Court.
Kurt, his lawyer Durmuş İlhan, and the accused police officers along with their defense attorneys attended the hearing. A large number of lawyers, including officials from the Ankara Bar Association, were also present in the courtroom to support Kurt. Uniformed and armed police officers remained in the courtroom throughout the session.
One of the key points of contention during the hearing was the Ankara Bar Association's request to formally participate in the trial. Defense lawyer Zihni Yalçın Kaya, representing the accused officers, asked the court to reject the Bar Association's request. The court accepted the objection and denied the Bar Association’s participation.
In his defense statement, Kurt reiterated that the abuse he suffered amounted to systematic torture. He recalled being thrown to the ground and beaten during his arrest, which resulted in a fractured jaw. “From the moment I was detained to the time I was at the police station, what I experienced was systematic torture,” he said. “The forensic report’s diagnosis that I was subjected to violence in a way that affected my vital functions is the official proof of what I went through. The reason this torture is neither the first nor the last is impunity. That’s why I demand the defendants be convicted of torture.”
Speaking on behalf of the Ankara Bar Association, attorney Serhat Şengül also labeled the incident as torture rather than assault: “This was not intentional injury — it was clearly torture. We demand that the four torturers present in this courtroom be punished accordingly.”
The accused officers denied the allegations. Defense attorney Kaya claimed there was no intent to torture, arguing, “If they had intended to torture him, they would have prevented Kurt from calling emergency services.” One of the defendants, officer İ.Ş., insisted he did not assault Kurt, saying, “I didn’t even lay a finger on Oğuzcan. I tried to help him. I’m being mistaken for the other officers here.”
Following that statement, lawyers from the Ankara Bar Association requested permission to cross-examine the defendants, but the court denied the request.
The court postponed the case to May 21, 2025, to address remaining procedural issues.
Background
Kurt was detained near Ankara's Opera Bridge in 2021 after being stopped for an ID check. A verbal altercation with police escalated into physical violence. He was beaten, continued to be assaulted after falling to the ground, and was handcuffed behind his back when he tried to call for medical help. He was then taken into custody and charged with “resisting police.” He was released the following morning and later filed a criminal complaint, describing the incident as systematic torture.
Medical reports from Gazi Mustafa Kemal State Hospital and Ankara City Hospital confirmed Kurt had sustained injuries that could not be treated with simple medical intervention and that his ability to speak had been impaired.
The indictment cited international treaties and rulings from Turkey’s high courts, asserting that the four police officers subjected the victim to physical and psychological suffering in a deliberate and sustained manner that affected his cognitive functions and humiliated him. While the indictment called for their conviction on torture charges, a later opinion presented during the trial phase called for their acquittal.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 21.
