Turkish prosecutor and two gunmen killed in courthouse hostage shootout

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: Two gunmen from a banned leftist group and a prosecutor they held hostage inside a courthouse in Istanbul died on Tuesday after a shootout with special forces in one of the most dramatic hostage situation in recent history, Armenpress reports, citing Today’s Zaman.

The prosecutor had been overseeing an investigation into the killing of Berkin Elvan, a teenager who was hit by a tear gas canister fired by the police during the Gezi Park protests in the summer of 2013.

The outlawed leftist group that took the prosecutor hostage -- the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) -- announced midday on Tuesday that they took prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz as a hostage in his office at the Istanbul Courthouse. In a statement published on a website called Halkın Sesi included a photo of Kiraz with a gun pointed at his head.

The statement said the prosecutor would be “punished by death” if demands were not met by 3:36 p.m. -- three hours after he was first taken hostage. In its statement the DHKP/C said that in return for the release of the prosecutor it wants the police officers “who murdered Berkin Elvan to confess to their crimes during a live broadcast” and be tried in “people's courts” as well as the charges dropped against everyone who has been prosecuted for participating in protests over Elvan's death.

The militants also asked for a delegation to maintain negotiations between the gunmen and authorities.

By 8:30 p.m. local time, multiple gunshots and explosions were heard and smoke was visible from the floor where the prosecutor was held. Security forces were seen outside and an ambulance raced to a rear door, sirens blaring.

Nearly an hour later, Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altınok told reporters that six-hour negotiations with militants yielded no results and that the special forces had to launch an operation after multiple gunshots were heard inside the room where the prosecutor was taken hostage. It was not clear why the authorities decided to move in when they did not know if the prosecutor was harmed.

The police chief said the gunshots from the room came while the authorities were in communication with the militants, prompting them to storm the room. The prosecutor was seriously injured while the militants were killed in the shootout. He added that the prosecutor was taken to hospital and that his condition remains life-threatening. At around 11:00, hospital said the prosecutor didn't have "signs of life" when he was brought to the hospital and that they were unable to save the prosecutor despite all the efforts to revive him.

As the clock ticked toward the midnight, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu confirmed the death of the prosecutor, extending his condolences to his family and friends. He said the authorities identified the terrorists and vowed to take whatever measures are necessary to step up the security.

Body of the prosecutor was taken to Istanbul Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

Speaking in Ankara, Davutoğlu said the hostage takers had dressed up as lawyers in order to sneak in arms inside courthouse. He did not give any other new information. He hinted that screening of lawyers could be introduced to enhance the security in courthouses.

He warned against similar attacks ahead of elections, describing the incident as an assault on the Turkish democracy and the nation. He thanked the security services for "effective" operation and extended gratitude to media outlets who complied with the media blackout. Davutoğlu vowed to investigate the incident in detail.

A couple of hours after the incident began the Prime Minister's Office issued a temporary ban on television broadcasts reporting or covering the hostage crisis, according to a statement released by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK). Turkish television stations cut live broadcasts as the deadline passed, some citing the reporting ban.

Some Twitter accounts have written that gunshots were heard at the Istanbul Courthouse. State news agency Anadolu said two gunshots were fired inside the prosecutor's office after the security forces attempted to enter the room.

Anadolu said a "negotiation team" also arrived at the courthouse. Ümit Kocasakal, the head of the Istanbul Bar Association -- who was one of the names cited on the list of acceptable negotiators by the outlawed group -- was at the courthouse to conduct the negotiations. İstanbul police chief thanked Kocasakal for his efforts at the negotiations.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin, Altınok and Mustafa Çalışkan, the deputy police director in charge of counter-terrorism, were at the scene of the incident as well.

Istanbul Deputy Chief Prosecutor Orhan Kapıcı confirmed that the motive behind the hostage crisis is the investigation into the Berkin Elvan case.

“Elvan is our child and brother. This death upset all of us. As lawyers, we need to carry out this investigation efficiently and timely. We are doing our best on this issue,” Kapıcı said.

Berkin's father calls for release of prosecutor

A police officer shot a tear gas canister at Elvan's head on June 16, 2013 during the nationwide Gezi protests. After remaining comatose for nearly 10 months, Elvan died on March 11, 2014.

The teen's parents told the media that Elvan had gone out to buy bread when he was shot by the police. Elvan's death sparked public outrage and sporadic clashes broke out between protesters and the police after thousands of people poured onto the streets in more than 20 provinces across the country.

Speaking at a public rally on March 14, 2014, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed that Elvan was a member of a terrorist organization and that he had covered his face with a scarf. He justified the police's action, saying it was impossible for the police officer to know how old Elvan was.

In a brief video message on a widely-followed Twitter account, Berkin Elvan's father, Sami Elvan, appeared to call on the group not to harm the prosecutor.

"We want justice. We don't want anyone to shed even a drop of blood. We don't want other mothers to cry," Sami Elvan said.

Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Hüseyin Aygün said that he talked with Sami Elvan on the phone who said he had lost his son but doesn't want anyone to die.

Davutoğlu met with current and former interior and justice ministers at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters in Ankara to discuss the hostage crisis, officials in his office said.

Erdoğan, who was on a trip in Slovenia, talked with Davutoğlu on the phone and took information on the issue. After the operation, Erdoğan praised the "successful operation," prompting anger by critics.

The United States, European Union and Turkey list the DHKP-C as a terrorist organization. It was behind a suicide bombing at the US Embassy in 2013, and in 2001 two policemen and an Australian tourist died in a DHKP-C attack in central Istanbul.

Photo: mirror.co.uk

Turkish prosecutor and two gunmen killed in courthouse hostage shootout | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency

Turkish prosecutor and two gunmen killed in courthouse hostage shootout

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