Turkish police officer convicted of torture awarded in ceremony

A police officer convicted earlier this year in the torture and killing of a man in 2010 was recently awarded a plaque and a carpet in a ceremony by a local district mayor from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Duvar English

A police officer convicted earlier this year in the torture and killing of a man in 2010 was recently awarded a plaque and a carpet in a ceremony by a local district mayor from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), according to a report by the Tarafsız news agency. 

In Istanbul's Laleli district in 2009, $1,200,000 belonging to an area tradesmen was stolen as it was being transported by couriers. 29 people were taken into custody following the incident in 2010. Among the suspects was Murat Konuş, who was taken to a police station on January 7, 2010, only to be taken from the police station in a blanket to a hospital three hours later. An hour later, he passed away at the hospital. 

The autopsy report concluded that Konuş died as a result of being tortured while in custody, due to rough blows to the head. After the report was released, criminal cases were filed against seven police officers. The officers were arrested and subsequently released pending trial.

In July of this year, four officers were found guilty. Oktay Kapsız, Ramazan Adıgüzel, Murat Ertürk and Abdülcelil Karadağ were convicted to life without the possibility of parole on charges of torture resulting in death. The punishment was reduced to life in prison, and the court that charged the suspects decided not to arrest them.

On duty as a police officer in the Istanbul district of Beşiktaş when the incident in question took place, despite being charged with torture, Oktay Kapsız rose to the 4th class of the police department. Kapsız, who was stationed in the Çukurca district of the eastern province of Hakkari while the trial was taking place, was appointed to the Aegean province of Muğla in November. 

Prior to being sent to Muğla, Çukurca governor Murat Öztürk presented Kapsız with a certificate of appreciation, and the resulting photo was published on the governorate's website. District Mayor Ensar Dündar presented Kapsız with a plague and carpet and shared the photograph.

Konuş' lawyer Nuri Köse blasted the decision of the court to not arrest Kapsız and the other three policemen in spite of their life sentences.