Columnist might face trial for supporting attack on Türk

Approximately 50 lawyers who are registered with the Diyarbakır Bar Association filed criminal charges against Yılmaz Özdil, a columnist for the Hürriyet daily, yesterday at the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office. They demanded up to three years’ in jail for the well-known writer for his column titled “Fist.”

Former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Sezgin Tanrıkulu, who submitted the petition to the prosecutor’s office, said they demanded judicial action against Özdil in accordance with Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Articles 215 and 216 on “praising the crime and the criminal” and “provoking people to hatred and enmity.”

Özdil wrote in his Wednesday column in the paper: “The person who made his fist a hammer of justice and delivered it on the nose of Ahmet Türk actually verbalized the feelings of many people in this country.”

He also supported the nefarious attack by saying, “Let me ask then ... if it is a ‘democratic right’ to open fire on and kill the children of this country, how can beating up a party leader be labeled ‘racism’?”

Tanrıkulu said: “This is not acceptable. The media should act more responsibly, especially the writers for the big newspapers.”

Emin Aktar, the head of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, reiterated these concerns and said the attack on Türk aimed to drag the country into deep polarization. “This attack is the provocative work of some circles which are against the Kurdish initiative brought forward by the government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Samsun’s police chief was temporarily removed from his post on Thursday within the scope of an investigation launched regarding the assault on Türk.

Two policemen removed from duty in Hakkari Two police officers whose identities have not been released were removed from duty for using “disproportionate force” on Hatip Kurt, a 14-year-old who was beaten by police in the Kurdish-dominated town of Hakkari in protests held in that city after the assault on the former chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party (DTP) Ahmet Türk. At the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Hospital, Kurt said he couldn’t remember much of what happened. He said: “I had just come home from school. There were incidents taking place in front of our house. When I tried to enter the house, the police started chasing me. I was afraid, and so I ran. Then they caught me. That’s all I remember.” The family of the injured boy has filed a complaint with the local prosecutor’s office against the officer or officers involved. Lawyer Zeydin Kaya said the Hakkari Bar Association would follow the legal process closely. Kurt has a broken nose and a broken cheekbone. İstanbul Today’s Zaman

Officials from the Interior Ministry said Samsun Police Chief Muzaffer Erkan has been temporarily removed from his post and appointed to the security department in Ankara in accordance with a preliminary report prepared by the investigation’s chief inspectors.

Prior to Erkan’s temporary removal from his position, his deputy, Cemal Issı, and deputy manager of the city’s security branch, Murat Alkan, were removed from office. Erkan’s seat will be filled temporarily by Ramazan Erdoğan and Erkan will move to Ankara.

Erkan told journalists that his removal was related to the incident regarding Türk, as reported by the Anatolia news agency following a breakfast meeting yesterday at the Samsun Police Club with Samsun Governor Hasan Basri Güzeloğlu, Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz and Garrison Commander Gen. Ömer Bayraklı.

“I believe the ministry looks at the event from a broader perspective. There is no offense. We tried our best,” Erkan said. “I respect the decision.”

He added that the incident involving Türk was “wrong” and that “it should never have happened in Samsun or in Turkey.”

The inspectors reported that there were not enough security precautions taken in the city on Monday when Türk was punched in the face shortly after reading a press statement in front of a courthouse in Samsun where the trial of a man charged with killing two protesters in the Bulanık district of Muş on Dec. 15 was being heard.

His attacker, İsmail Çelik (23), who waits tables at a local coffeehouse, approached Türk, who is 68, after the statement and punched the former DTP leader in the face. Türk’s nose was broken in the altercation. Çelik was arrested on Tuesday. In his testimony, he said his attack was an individual action and that he is remorseful and sorry.

President Gül calls Türk

Meanwhile, President Abdullah Gül phoned Türk to express his wishes that Türk will “get well soon.” Sources said the president also said he is sorry about what happened in Samsun and added that this was an individually planned act as all political parties condemned the attack.

Gül also said the attack “cannot be condoned” and he appreciates Türk’s calm attitude following the incident in order to prevent any acts of provocation.

“I have received many messages of goodwill from all segments of society and from politicians. I realize that we are not alone in our struggle for democracy. Once more it has been proven that the people want to support each other and I hope the politicians will act accordingly,” Türk had said while he was being discharged from hospital in Ankara two days after he had an operation on his broken nose.

Kurdish intellectuals and representatives of civil society organizations have been urging people to use common sense following the incident, but there have been protests in Hakkari, Yüksekova, Şemdinli, Van, Başkale and some areas of Mersin.

Tanrıkulu, who is also Diyarbakır branch head of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TİHV), said Türk has been the voice of common sense, not only with regards to his approach to the Kurdish issue but also with regards to Turkey’s many other problems.

“Attacking Türk means attacking commonsense politics; the provocative goals of the attack are evident. People who react to the incident should not fall into the trap that the attackers have set. The best response to the attack would leave out all violent options and express reactions in the most peaceful way. We should stand firm against such provocations,” he said.

İsmail Durgun, the head of the Hakkari Bar Association, reiterated these concerns.

“Violent protests over the incident would please some who would like to see the continuation of war. This is how this incident should be evaluated,” he said.