Gun found near Elçi used in attack on policemen: Turkish PM

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu at a press conference ahead of his flight to Brussels for the EU-Turkey Summit on Nov. 29, 2015. AA Photo

Turkey’s prime minister has said the pistol found next to the dead body of Tahir Elçi, a prominent lawyer who was killed during clashes after the killing of two police officers in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, was the same weapon used in the first incident.

“The pistol found right next to the body of Tahir Elçi was identified to be the one used by a terrorist who martyred the police officer before Elçi’s shooting,” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said at a press conference at Ankara’s Esenboğa airport on Nov. 29, ahead of his flight to Brussels for the EU-Turkey Summit.

The premier’s remarks came a day after Elçi, a human rights activist and head of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, was killed during clashes which erupted after one police officer was killed and another was injured when outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants opened fire at security forces in Diyarbakır’s Sur district on Nov. 28. 

Cengiz Erdur, the wounded police officer, later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

An initial forensic report said Elçi was killed by a single bullet to the back of his neck fired from long range.

A curfew was imposed in Diyarbakır’s historical Sur district, where the attack occurred.  

Elçi and accompanying lawyers had just finished issuing a press statement to condemn special forces teams for damaging the base of Diyarbakır’s famous Four-Legged Minaret when gun shots rang out.