Man suffers brain hemorrhage after beating by Turkish police

ISTANBUL

Milliyet photo

A Turkish man suffered a brain hemorrhage and spent five days in a hospital after being severely beaten by policemen near Istanbul's Taksim Square, according to a report by Burcu Karakaş of daily Milliyet. 

Murat Şalcı, 24, said he was walking on İstiklal Avenue on the night of June 7 with his friends Mervan Kurt and Ahmet Usal when he accidentally bumped a woman on the shoulder while he was texting his girlfriend. A brief quarrel between Şalcı and the woman's boyfriend followed the incident, after which both sides apologized and continued on their ways. 

Police officers in civilian clothes attacked Şalcı and his friends immediately after the encounter. "A man in civilian clothes grabbed my throat and started punching me. I did not know he was a police officer so I fought back," Şalcı said. "Eight or nine other officers arrived; they knocked me to the ground and handcuffed me. They started kicking me in the head. I do not remember the rest as I passed out."

Şalcı and two others were taken to the Taksim police station after the beating, where Şalcı remained unconscious and had to be taken to Taksim Emergency Hospital. "I do not remember being at the police station; I woke up at the hospital," Şalcı said. 

Doctors at the hospital diagnosed Şalcı with a brain hemorrhage, and he remained in the hospital for five days after the beating. Şalcı said he was to remain under medical surveillance for four months. "My vision is still blurry," Şalcı said. 

Forensics filed a report for Şalcı, saying his life had been put in danger due to the hemorrhage and his injury was not of a quality which could be remedied by a simple medical procedure.

Şalcı testified to a prosecutor on June 14 and filed a complaint against the policemen who beat him. 
Meanwhile, a lawsuit was opened against Şalcı, Kurt and Usal on charges of "resisting a police officer," "insult" and "threat."