Policeman in Gezi murder case accused of transporting injured victim in trunk

İsmail Saymaz ISTANBUL / Radikal

Tevfik Caner Ertay was severely injured after being beaten by police officers during last year's Gezi protests.

One of the prime suspects in the murder of Gezi protester Ali İsmail Korkmaz has been accused of also beating another demonstrator on a nearby street before locking him in the trunk of a police car in the course of his detention.

M.S., who is standing trial for the beating death of Korkmaz in June 2013 in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir, is alleged to have beaten Tevfik Caner Ertay with iron rods not long after administering the fatal blows to Korkmaz, before bundling him into the trunk for rendition to the police station.

Ertay survived the beating and has been heard as a witness in the trial into Korkmaz’s murder. Ertay previously alleged that the same officer that beat Korkmaz also beat him. Now, footage has emerged from two hospitals appearing to show Ertay being removed from the trunk to be brought in for treatment.

The Eskişehir Police Department has admitted that the car in question, a Ford Connect, was used by M.S. and another officer, E.K., on June 2, 2013, to transfer Ertay because there was a shortage of other vehicles because of the large nature of the protests.

“During the period in which mass incidents were occurring, personnel and vehicles were given verbal orders to intervene in the incidents and, when necessary, vehicles were used to transfer suspects,” said a written statement dated Nov. 21 from the police department’s anti-terrorism squad.

Describing the trunk, the police said, “Suspects were transferred for detention proceedings in a special section of the car located in the back of the vehicle that was separated from the officers and featured sitting areas facing one another, as well as [mechanisms] to prevent it from being open from outside so as to prevent suspects from harming themselves or personnel.”

Issuing a statement, Koç defended his and M.S.'s conduct in the incident, while denying allegations that they beat Ertay in the car, transported him in the trunk, said “Let’s get rid of this [guy]” or instructed doctors at one hospital to “not write too much.”

“Because there were not enough vehicles for those in custody, we placed the injured individual in the back of the vehicle. The vehicle was appropriate for detention proceedings. [Ö.F.A.], who was on duty at the branch, came with us. We did not speak with the injured individual,” he said, adding that they first went to Eskişehir State Hospital before continuing on to Yunus Emre State Hospital because of the large number of protesters at the former.

After receiving treatment, Ertay was taken to a police station.

“[Ertay] has participated in a number of mass incidents in our province and is at the forefront of them. He has been the subject of a number of proceedings at our branch,” Koç added.

M.S. has yet to provide testimony in the case.