Turkish policeman merely fined for killing man with armored vehicle

A Turkish court has sentenced a police officer to three years in prison over “death by negligence” for killing civil engineer Cihan Can with an armored vehicle in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in 2019. However, the court converted the officer’s sentence into a fine of 21,200 liras.

Tuesday September 05 2023 06:04 pm

Duvar English

The Diyarbakır 11th Criminal Court of First Instance court on Sept. 4 sentenced a police officer with the initials of H.A. to three years in prison on the charge of “death by negligence” for killing civil engineer Cihan Can with an armored vehicle in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s Bağlar district in 2019.

The court reduced the officer’s sentence by one-sixth and converted it into a fine of 21,200 liras, Sur Ajans on Sept. 5 reported.

Moreover, the court also divided the fine into 24 installments, citing the defendant's social and economic situation and other personal situation.

Accordingly, the accused police officer who caused the death will pay 833.33 liras per month for 24 months in return for the sentence.

In the final trial of the case held on Sept. 4, the prosecutor cited the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) Traffic Specialization Department’s report that says the police officer in question was “100 percent faulty” in the incident and demanded he be punished on the charge of “death by negligence.”

In the Turkish law, “death by negligence” is punished with imprisonment from two to six years.

Criticizing the sentence, Cihan Can's brother Neytullah Can said he will pay the police officer’s fine. Fuat Coşacak, the lawyer of the Can family, said that they will take the decision to the appeal’s court.