Deniz Tekin
In Diyarbakır, a prosecutor has requested the acquittal of three police officers charged in the murder trial of Tahir Elçi, the former president of the Diyarbakır Bar Association. Despite extensive investigations, the prosecutor argued that it was impossible to determine the origin of the bullet that killed Elçi, and there was no conclusive and credible evidence linking the accused officers to his death.
The case, heard at the Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court, involves officers Sinan Tabur, Mesut Sevgi, and Fuat Tan. During the trial, the defense has consistently denied the charges, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses and various intelligence sources failed to capture the moment of Elçi’s shooting. Witnesses, including lawyers, shopkeepers, and journalists, also could not provide eyewitness testimony relevant to the accusations.
The prosecutor concluded that given the lack of definitive evidence and under the principles of the presumption of innocence and the benefit of the doubt ("in dubio pro reo"), the accused officers should be acquitted. The next hearing is scheduled for June 12, following the submission of these final arguments.
Background of the case
Tahir Elçi was fatally shot in the head during a press statement in front of the historic Four-Legged Minaret in the Sur district of Diyarbakır on November 28, 2015. The incident occurred amidst a shootout between PKK members and police that also resulted in the deaths of police officers Ahmet Çiftaslan and Cengiz Erdur.
An investigation into Elçi's death, conducted approximately five months later, failed to recover the bullet that caused his death. Additionally, there were claims that the security cameras in the area were not functioning at the time of the incident. A detailed forensic report by Forensic Architecture, a research agency based at the University of London, suggested that Elçi might have been killed by one of the three police officers.
The formal indictment in the case was completed only five years after Elçi's murder, on March 20, 2020. It charged the officers with manslaughter due to recklessness and a PKK member, Uğur Yakışır, with causing death by probable intent. Yakışır’s case was later separated from the Elçi murder trial.
