Raid for ‘Why was your mother’s death reported in the press?’

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Police have once again raided the house where 70-year-old Edibe Özçelik lost her life after another police raid in January 2020.

Living in Tekebaşı Neighborhood in Hatay's Samandağ district, Edibe Özçelik passed out during the police intervention and died on the same day.

The reason for the second police raid on the house is the news reported in the press regarding the fact that no permission has been granted to launch an investigation against the police officers over the first raid.

'So, no need to break down the door'

After the incident was reported in the press, an investigation has been launched against Ümit Özçelik, the son of Edibe Özçelik. "This time, they came without breaking down the door. So, apparently, it can also be done like this," he tells bianet about the issue.

Edibe Özçelik fainted during the police raid on their house at around 4.45 a.m. on January 17, 2020; taken to a hospital, she lost his life in the evening.

Searched by the police with long-barreled weapons during the raid, her son Ümit Özçelik gave his statement at the prosecutor's office on the same day and he was released after giving his statement.

No permission for investigation

Speaking to bianet about his mother's passing, Servet Özçelik previously said that "the police officers who had entered and searched their house by breaking down the door did not allow them to call an ambulance for a long time and her mother was kept waiting at the house until her condition took a turn for the worse." They filed a criminal complaint against the police.

No permission has been granted to investigate the police officers who raided the house as part of the investigation launched by the Samandağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office upon this criminal complaint. The family appealed against this decision. They are still waiting for its result.

'Is it a crime to make news?'

After it was reported in the press that the police officers would not be investigated, another investigation has been launched against Ümit Özçelik. He tells bianet the following about the investigation:

"A permission was not granted to investigate the ones who caused our mother's death. But after this issue was reported in the news, I was summoned to depose, I was asked why it was reported in the news.

"They first called me from the police station and summoned me to depose, I told them that I would give my statement to the prosecutor. Then, a written notification was delivered to me and I gave my statement on the same day. The prosecutor asked me whether it was me who made the journalists report the news. I asked, 'Is it a crime to make news?'"

This time, raid carried out in daytime

Ümit Özçelik said that in some news reports, it was commented that "they were protecting the murderers" and he told the prosecutor that they were looking for a culprit for this reason.

A week after this statement, the police went to the house again on March 23, 2021. The prosecutor's office had given an instruction to search the house as part of the investigation. Ümit Özçelik says:

"I left home on March 23, my father called me and said the police searched the house. I came back home. This time, they entered the house without breaking down the door. They said they were looking for digital materials.

"We were collecting signatures in Hatay for the trial of the police officers over my mother's death. They seized the papers with nearly 1,200 signatures. We told them that we would send these signatures to the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament. There were also two tablets at home, one of them was not working. They seized them as well.

"So, apparently, a house search could also be done in daytime or they could apparently take a statement by sending a written notification... They did not have to break down the door on January 17, when my mother passed out." (AS/SD)