Serhat Kahyaoğlu, a Kurdish man, has died following his detention by Turkish police in the Fatih district of Istanbul. His arrest occurred amidst celebrations of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party’s success in the 31 March local elections with allegations that Kahyaoğlu was subjected to severe police violence during the arrest process.
Kahyaoğlu was taken into custody for firing a weapon into the air from his home, a customary celebratory act in Turkey. “The police were brutally beating him. Serhat pleaded for them to stop. When they brought him to where I was minutes later, it was too late; he had already died,” claimed N.G., who was also detained with Kahyaoğlu.
Authorities claim Kahyaoğlu died by suicide, jumping from a building—a narrative that often surfaces in cases involving state security forces, raising suspicions of a cover-up. However, an autopsy indicated multiple injuries indicative of assault. This has led to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office initiating an investigation into the death.
The backdrop to Kahyaoğlu’s death is a wider context of unrest and police brutality. Since the 31 March elections, which saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffer notable losses to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, there have been efforts to dispute opposition wins in various municipalities and notably, to stifle Kurdish celebrations nationwide. Documented reports and footage from this period display stark police aggression in Kurdish areas, suggesting a retaliatory stance by Turkish authorities in response to Kurdish electoral successes and public expressions of joy.
