Governor apologizes for woman beaten in İzmir

İZMİR – Anatolia News Agency

İzmir governor Mustafa Cahit Kıraç apologizes and says they are ready to provide psychological support to the victim and her family if needed. DHA photo

Mustafa Cahit Kıraç, governor of the Aegean province of İzmir, issued an apology for the police beating of a woman as revealed in a surveillance video released to the public Dec. 9. 

Kıraç also said government services are ready to provide psychological support to the victim and her family if needed. 

“The video was horrible. Right after watching it on TV I called the interior minister and dismissed the officers involved in the incident. We have cameras recording 24 hours a day in every police station. As the governor of İzmir, I apologize to Ms. Fevziye Cengiz.”

Kıraç’s remarks came three days after a Turkish daily released footage showing two police officers beating a detained woman in İzmir. The footage was obtained from a police station there and was recorded in July, according to the report by daily Vatan. 

The police officers were temporarily relieved of their duties, İzmir police said in a written statement Dec. 10. The statement said Cengiz, the victim of the beating, resisted the police officers and officers Tekin Doğan, Beyit Sezgen and Hakan Yörük filed a complaint against her. 

Cengiz was at a music hall with her husband and other family members in July when police raided the location to conduct an identification check. Cengiz’s husband reportedly went to their car parked nearby to fetch her ID card. 

Cengiz said she was trying to explain to the officers that her husband was bringing her ID from the car when one of the officers allegedly hit her from behind and said, “Don’t you want to come, [expletive]?” and forcefully detained her. 

The officers allegedly continued the beating all the way to the police station, Cengiz said.