Remarks by murder suspect leads to outrage in Turkish courtroom

The remarks of the accused caused outrage in a Turkish courtroom during the hearing session of the trial of the murder of a Kurdish political activist last year in Turkey.

The accused Onur Gencer, who had been caught in the scene of crime red handed with the murder weapon, was asked Monday by one of the lawyers representing the victim's family whether he used all of the 15 bullets he got in a shooting range, and what he did with those that he did not use.

Gencer responded: "You know the answer. I left your offices covered in the blood I shed."

Deniz Poyraz, a member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was killed in the offices of HDP in the western city of Izmir on 17 June 2021. Gencer was captured at the scene.

His social media posts, showing him posing in camouflage making the sign of racist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in one, and with assault rifles in others, had raised concerns that his attack on HDP's offices could be an organized one. Soon later it also came to light that he had served in Turkish military's operations in north Syria.

He was also asked Monday by one of the lawyers whether he met in Syria with a fighter recruited by private military training and consultancy company SADAT, allegedly involved in operations of the Turkish military in Syria.

Gencer said, "Maybe", but as he heard the lawyer tell the man's name, he paused, then added: "You are the ones who got hurt, you find the answer."

No progress in the case

Gencer is indicted for deliberate killing, but the prosecution's approach to the case has excluded the possibility that the murder might have been an organized act rather than an individual one, and that there may have been others who instigated the murder.

While there has been no significant progress in the case, Deniz's father Abdullah Poyraz has been prosecuted for things he is alleged to have said in an interview after his daughter was killed. He is accused of making propaganda for a terrorist group.

In every hearing session, the attitude of Gencer in the court room has demonstrated his confidence. He had begun to express it by saying in the second hearing on 24 January that he had no regrets for having stormed the HDP’s offices and committed the murder.