Confidentiality Order for Kemal Kurkut Investigation

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Criminal Judgeship of Peace has issued a confidentiality order upon request of Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office for the investigation of the killing of university student Kemal Kurkut, who was shot to death at the entrance of Newroz celebrations area in Diyarbakır.

With the confidentiality order, Kurkut family’s attorneys cannot access to information and documents in the investigation file until the case is presented.

Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office earlier had a gag order issued as to the killing of Kurkut.

What happened?

Kemal Kurkut was shot to death by police at security check point on Evrim Alataş street near Newroz Park in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province on March 21.

In the photos taken at the incident time, Kurkut was seen bare-chested quarreling with police at the check point and starting to run passing through the check point. As some of the police fire in the air, some others fire on him.

dihaber reported that Kurkut was shot despite a police chief ordering “Don’t shoot”.

Diyarbakır Governorship declared that Kurkut had a knife in his hand, he was “suspected to be a suicide attacker”, and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Born in Adıyaman, Kurkut was a student at İnönü University Fine Arts Faculty Department of Music.

His funeral was held on March 22 in Batalgazi district of Malatya province. (EA/TK)