HDP commemorates Kemal Kurkut murdered by Turkish police 5 years ago, during Newroz celebrations

Ümit Dede, co-chair of HDP Law and Human Rights Commission, commemorated Kemal Kurkut on the 5th anniversary of his murder.

Making a written statement, Dede said: “Kemal Kurkut was shot in the back by the police on suspicion of being a suicide bomber, 5 years ago, at the entrance of the celebration area where he came to attend the Diyarbakır Newroz on 21 March 2017.”

Dede added: “At that time, the Diyarbakır Governor’s Office said in a statement that a person who tried to carry out a suicide bomb attack was neutralized and the incident was being investigated. However, the photo shared after the incident revealed the full truth. Kemal was shot in the back deliberately. Kemal, a student of the faculty of fine arts, was just 23 years old. The ambulance did not come to the area for several minutes. The killing of Kemal Kurkut, which is clear from the fact that there was no suicide bomber, was in fact a murder.”

Dede underlined that “since then, the state has protected the accused police officers. All state institutions, from law enforcement institutions to courts, from the Forensic Medicine Institute to the governor’s office, continued to work hard to cover up the murder of Kemal. And finally, acquittal verdicts were given for the accused police officers.”

However, said Dede, “all the visible and invisible murderers of Kemal Kurkut were convicted before the people. Every day, we condemn those who murdered Kemal Kurkut and those who acquitted them, and we will continue to condemn them. We commemorate Kemal Kurkut with longing. He was murdered on this historic day that symbolizes a new year, resistance, peace and freedom, and we promise to all our murdered youth in the person of Kemal Kurkut that we will expand the struggle for democracy and peace and create a more liveable country and world.”