Prosecutor gets teachers detained over football game
DİYARBAKIR
An investigation has been launched after a prosecutor in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has ordered the detention of 14 teachers upon a scheduling conflict over a football match on a carpeted field.
The incident took place on Feb. 27 in the Çermik district of Diyarbakır.
A group of people, including the prosecutor, misremembered the reserved time slot for their football game.
The 14 teachers in question were reported to have booked the field between 9-10 p.m., while the prosecutor’s group made a reservation for the 10-11 p.m. time slot.
As the prosecutor’s group arrived at the field at 9:00 p.m. before their scheduled time, they asked the teachers, who had already started their game, to leave the field.
When the teachers objected to this request and continued their game, the prosecutor ordered the police to detain the 14 teachers.
The detained teachers were released on the same night and have not yet faced any legal proceedings. However, in the meantime, the prosecutor’s group played their game.
The incident received backlash within the nation as Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül announced that the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) launched an investigation into the incident.
“[As a result of the investigation] we will find out if the authority that the law grants to the public prosecutor has been crossed and all the details of the incident. I would like to indicate through this incident that no one, including members of our judiciary, are above the law. In fact, judiciary members are also held responsible to abide by the law in addition to executing it for others. Everyone, no matter their profession, is equal before the law,” Gül said.
“The incident that happened in Çermik aimed at our teachers has saddened us. The necessary procedures have been launched by our Justice Ministry. It is our wish that such an incident does not happen again,” Education Minister Ziya Selçuk said on his Twitter account, criticizing the incident.
“Teachers are not stepchildren of this country nor are they without protection. The detention of 14 teachers in Diyarbakır’s Çermik district has caused us much distress,” Education Ministry Deputy Minister Mustafa Safran also posted on his Twitter account.
“Justice cannot be used for personal desires. I vehemently condem this treatment against our teachers,” said Hamza Aydoğdu, the Education Ministry’s staff manager.