Kürkçü, Tanal Acquitted
Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish
On September 7, 2014, a lift carrying workers in the construction of Torun Center in the district of Mecidiyeköy in İstanbul dropped from the 32nd floor and claimed the lives of 10 workers.
* Ertuğrul Kürkçü took this photograph on the scene of incident.
Two years later, a lawsuit was filed against the Honorary Chairperson of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ertuğrul Kürkçü and İstanbul MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Mahmut Tanal, who supported the group that protested the incident.
In the case, where Kürkçü and Tanal faced seven years in prison on charges of "opposing to the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations" and "resisting to hinder fulfilment of duty", the court announced its verdict today (October 4).
The hearing, which was held at the İstanbul 22nd Penal Court of First Instance, was attended by the attorneys of Kürkçü and Tanal.
In his statement of defense, Tanal stated that he has been an MP and made a statement by using the Anti-Riot Water Cannon Vehicle (TOMA) as a platform. Emphasizing that the lawsuit was filed due to his political identity, Tanal demanded his acquittal.
Speaking on behalf of his client Ertuğrul Kürkçü, attorney Mustafa Bayram Mısır said that Kürkçü left the scene after the statement for the press ended.
The court board ruled that Tanal and Kürkçü be acquitted.
What happened?
On September 7, 2014, a lift carrying workers in the construction of Torun Center on the area of the former Ali Sami Yen Stadium dropped from the 32th floor, killing 10 workers.
The workers who had lost their lives in the incident were Tahir Kara, Hıdır Ali Genç, İsmail Sarıtaş, Bilal Bal, Cengiz Tatoğlu, Murat Usta, Menderes Meşe, Vahdet Biçer, Ferdi Kara, Cengiz Bilgi.
On the same day, workers' unions who wanted to protest the incident were prohibited upon which the MPs Kürkçü and Tanal had meetings with the police in order to get permission for holding press statements.
In the hearing on October 27, 2016 a 103-page expert report was submitted to the court. The report stated that those who were responsible for the incident could not be identified with certainty. (EMK/SD)