- Title: TURKEY-HOSTAGE/ERDOGAN Prosecutor dies of wounds after Istanbul hostage shootout
- Date: 31st March 2015
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (MARCH 31, 2015) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AMBULANCE ARRIVING AT COURTHOUSE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF COURTHOUSE VARIOUS OF AMBULANCE CARRYING WOUNDED PROSECUTOR LEAVING EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL AMBULANCE PARKED OUTSIDE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE
- Embargoed: 15th April 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Romania
- Country: Romania
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABJ7D7DXMD6PGFCA5GHMGSJJZC
- Story Text: An Istanbul prosecutor died from his wounds after security forces stormed the office where members of a far-left Turkish group took him hostage on Tuesday (March 31), killing his two captors.
The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) had published a picture of the prosecutor with a gun to his head and said it would kill him unless its demands were met.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said authorities had established lines of communications with the hostage-takers, but had been forced to act when shots were heard from inside the room where Kiraz was being held.
"They entered the building disguised as lawyers and went into the office of prosecutor Selim Kiraz. They took him hostage. In the meantime, the Governor of Istanbul and the police talked to them and took some steps to try to resolve (the crisis) by negotiating. This process continued until recently," Erdogan told reporters in Bucharest.
Six hours after the standoff in a courthouse in central Istanbul began, explosions and gunfire could be heard coming from the building and smoke billowed from a window, a Reuters witness said.
A few minutes later, two ambulances, sirens wailing, raced away from the scene.
Erdogan said Mehmet Selim Kiraz had died despite being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
"After gunfire was heard from inside, security forces stormed the room and according to the information provided by the Istanbul police chief, two terrorists were killed. Our prosecutor was shot three times in the head and twice in the body."
Kiraz was leading an investigation into the death last March of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan, who died after nine months in a coma from a head wound sustained in anti-government protests.
The DHKP-C said on its website it wanted the police officer it blames for Elvan's death to confess on television, the officers involved to be tried in "people's courts", and charges against those who attended protests for Elvan to be dropped. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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