Gendarmes shot dead a 28-year-old man in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority province of Diyarbakır (Amed) on Saturday for disobeying a warning to stop.
The incident that led to the death of Mikail Ekinci happened when he tried to escape on his motorbike after large numbers of gendarmes raided the hamlet in the countryside of the Çermik (Çermûg) district where Ekinci, for whom there was an arrest warrant, was living with his family, reported Mezopotamya Agency.
Following the incident, the Diyarbakır Bar Association called for an immediate and effective investigation, stating that the “arbitrary, unlawful and disproportionate use of weapons violating the right to life is unacceptable” and that they would follow up the legal process.
The warrant for Ekinci’s arrest was issued in connection with an investigation into a fight between the Ekincis and another family over a land dispute, which resulted in the death of one person.
Ekinci’s uncle Ali Ekinci told the Amida news agency that the area where the incident took place was not mountainous, “They could have captured him alive if they wanted to. We are going to lodge a criminal complaint,” he said.
Çermik State Prosecution has started an investigation into the incident.