Ruling AKP mayor in northern Turkey shoots owner of tea house following argument

Duvar English

A ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) mayor in the northern province of Giresun on Nov. 4 shot the owner of a tea house in the legs following an argument, daily Sözcü reported.

The incident happened after the tea house's owner went to the residential complex where Recep Yakar, the mayor of the district of Bulancak, lives. Armağan Kuru said that he wanted to talk to the mayor about his tea house shut down by the municipality. Shortly after the two men's talk at the residential complex's parking lot turned into an argument, mayor Yakar pulled out his licensed gun and shot Kuru in the legs.

Kuru was hospitalized and taken into surgery. He said that the mayor fired six shots, four of which hit his legs. “One of the shots broke my bone and right now there is nerve damage in my left leg. Everything has been recorded in the security cameras,” Kuru said.

Mayor Yakar claimed in his testimony that Kuru threatened him and advanced towards him in the parking lot. “In order to protect myself, I pulled out of my licensed gun and fired in the ground but it turns out one of the bullets bounced and hit him,” Yakar said.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.