7,500 liras in 12 installments for 33 lives taken in Suruç

33 revolutionaries were killed in Suruç. But the District Police Chief of the period was sentenced to just a 7500 lira fine. The fine was divided into 12 installments and the Police Chief never saw the inside of a court room.

The verdict came out in the case against Mehmet Yapalıal, who was the District Police Chief in Suruç on July 20, 2015 when 33 revolutionaries were murdered.

Yapalıal was put on trial in the Suruç Criminal Court on charges of negligence and misconduct. Victim Emrullah Akhamur’s brother Ümran Akhamur, survivors of the massacre Yasin Can, Onur Kartal and Ceren Çoban attended the hearing today.

Ümran Akhamur, complainant, said: “It is telling that the main case still hasn’t started this long after the massacre.”

Yasin Can said the suspect police had negligence in the explosion and continued: “The work that needed to be done to catch the suicide bomber hasn’t been done. We lived through hell in that explosion. I demand those who gave us that hell experience hell in front of the law and the public and I demand they are punished.”

Onur Kartal demanded the suspect be sentenced with the maximum and said: “I am pursuing charges against the suspect with negligence in the explosion and others with responsibility.”

Ceren Çoban said the police prevented them from taking the wounded to the hospital and pulled a gun on them. Çoban said: “According to the autopsy report, during the explosion 23 people lost their lives because of the blast. 10 people died because they couldn’t receive medical attention.” Çoban demanded the confidentiality order to be removed from the case and said: “I am pursuing charges against all involved.”

Lawyer Can Tombul objected to suspect Mehmet Yapalıal not being brought to the hearing and said their right to question the suspect was taken away. Tombul said the families and the wounded want to face Yapalıal and demanded the suspect be brought to the court room and the case be transferred over to the High Criminal Court for lack of jurisdiction.

The court sentenced the police officer Yapalıal with 10 months in prison first, then reduced the sentence to 8 months and 10 days, which was then turned into a fine of 7500 liras, to be paid in 12 monthly installments.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

A large group of revolutionaries gathered in front of the Amara Cultural Center in Suruç on July 20, 2015 for the campaign “Defend together, build together” launched by Socialist Youth Associations Federation (Sosyalist Gençlik Dernekleri Federasyonu - SGDF) for the rebuilding efforts in Kobanê had been attacked by an ISIS suicide bomber. Alican Vural, Alper Sapan, Aydan Ezgi Şalcı, Büşra Mete, Cebrail Günebakan, Cemil Yıldız, Çağdaş Aydın, Duygu Tuna, Ece Dinç, Emrullah Akhamur, Erdal Bozkurt, Evrim Deniz Erol, Ferdane Kılıç, Hatice Ezgi Sadet, İsmet Şeker, Kasım Deprem, Koray Çapoğlu, Medali Barutçu, Mert Cömert, Murat Yurtgül, Nartan Kılıç, Nazegül Boyraz, Nazlı Akyürek, Nuray Koçak, Okan Pirinç, Osman Çiçek, Polen Ünlü, Serhat Devrim, Süleyman Aksu, Uğur Özkan, Vatan Budak, Veysel Özdemir and Yunus Emre Şen had lost their lives in the massacre.