Four Ankara police officers face torture charges in brutal beating of university student

Ankara prosecutors have prepared an indictment against four police officers who brutally battered and broke the jaw of a university student. Despite the student's plea to be taken to a hospital, the police officers rejected his request and took him to the police station, the indictment noted.

Tuesday December 28 2021 12:04 am

Duvar English

Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment against four police officers who battered a law student, broke his jaw and handcuffed him behind his back.

The police officers face charges of torturing law student Oğuzcan Kurt in Ankara on Aug. 22.

The incident occurred at the Cumhuriyet Park located next to the Ankara Courthouse, Deutsche Welle's Turkish service reported on Dec. 27.

"Bana 'Buradan defol' gibi çıkışlarda bulundular. 'Beni kovamazsınız, istersem durabilirim, kanunlara göre hareket etmeniz gerek' dediğimde içlerinden birisi yumruk attı"

Ankara'da öğrenci Oğuzcan Kurt'un çenesini kıran 4 polise "işkence" suçundan davahttps://t.co/9UElGhAA8H pic.twitter.com/kp4nhJMjH3
— DW Türkçe (@dw_turkce) December 27, 2021

As Kurt was on his way to the bus station, he wanted to check a leaking water pipe at the park. It was at this point that the police officers, who were conducting routine controls, summoned Kurt and asked him what he was doing. They asked Kurt to walk away from the park, to which the 21-year-old student said that he “might not go away if he wishes to do so.”

Upon Kurt's remarks, police officers hit him on his head, broke his jaw and kicked him in his chest, abdomen and back, according to his testimony. When Kurt phoned emergency line to ask for an ambulance, the police officers this time handcuffed him behind his back and took him to the nearest police station.

Despite Kurt's calls to be taken to the hospital, the police officers kept him at the police station and even issued a monetary fine against him for “violating the rule of wearing a mask.” The police officers also accused him of “resisting them” and initiated a judiciary process.

Kurt was eventually taken to a hospital, where it was determined that his jaw was broken. He was later released from custody.

Upon Kurt's complaint, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office analyzed the security footage from the police station and penned an indictment bringing charges of torture against police officers İbrahim Şenses, Alper Yiğit, Eyüp Topak and Serdar Özdemir.

The trial of the police officers will take place at the Ankara 16th Heavy Penal Court.

The prosecutors also dropped the charges of “resisting against civil servants” brought by the police officers in question against Kurt.