Treasury to sue Gezi protesters for damage to public property

ANKARA – Hürriyet

DAILY NEWS Photo/Selahattin Sönmez

Protesters who damaged public property during the summer’s Gezi Park protests in Istanbul will stand trial upon a demand from lawyers of the treasury. Similar cases are also on the way, with the Security General Directorate and municipalities prepared to file similar complaints.

Treasury lawyers filed a complaint against protesters who damaged public buildings during protests that became widespread after a harsh police intervention against a small demonstration against a shopping mall project in Taksim at the end of May.

The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and various shop owners have also filed complaints against protesters in the Turkish capital.

Treasury lawyers examined footage and pictures taken by police during the protests. The lawyers compiled lists of damaged public properties and calculated their costs, also demanding that police identify those who burned or threw stones during the protests.

If the protesters who damaged public property are members of unions, NGOs, or political parties, then these institutions will also be filed to the court.

The Security General Directorate is also set to file similar complaints, claiming that around 100 police or civilian cars owned by them were damaged over the course of the protests.

The Ankara Governor’s Office and the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality claim that the overall cost of the protests came to around 17 million Turkish Liras. The municipality will demand compensation if a trial starts.

The Ankara Governor’s Office had previously claimed that 132 public and private buildings, 71 bank buildings, 74 civilian and police cars, 30 public transportation vehicles, fireman cars, 231 traffic lighting systems, 117 advertisement sign boards and 193 MOBESE cameras were damaged during the demonstrations.