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After a far-right gunman who was identified as Onur Gencer attacked the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) office in the city of Izmir in Turkey and killed party official Deniz Poyraz – who was the only person present in the office at the time – there have been unanswered questions regarding the attack. Lawyers and activists continue to probe into these concerns.
Speaking exclusively to Medya Haber TV, Türkan Aslan, a lawyer for the HDP, shared recent information regarding these concerns as they relate to the investigation of Deniz Poyraz’s murder.
Aslan disclosed that there were findings of two deep wounds in Deniz Poyraz’s head and she suspects that these might be marks of torture to which Deniz Poyraz was subjected to before she was shot dead.
“Considering the past and the connections of the assailant, it is certain that he was a well trained individual, because this assailant, this killer, also tortured Deniz. This is one of the matters that slips the public’s attention. Deniz was subjected to torture: it is not just that she was killed by a bullet,” she said.
“There are marks of cuts on Deniz’s body. There are wounds on her head that we believe to be marks of cuts,” she said.
Since the autopsy report has not yet been completed, Aslan stated that these suspicions have not yet been medically proven, but she insists that she suspects that these marks might indicate that the perpetrator might have tried to scalp Deniz Poyraz.
“The doctor saw an unidentified wound on her head. Therefore, it was impossible to comment on that wound. But we know that such a wound cannot be caused by a fall or a hit. The experts we consulted also confirm that. The fact that two blades were found on him [the assailant] also increases our suspicions. He was carrying two switchblades,” she said.
She added: “In my opinion, the deep wound on her head is a cut. I believe this might be revealed with the autopsy report. I am only talking about a possibility now, but it is sure that she was tortured.”
Pointing to the fact that the perpetrator, Onur Gencer, had been sent to Manbij for a post, Aslan questioned what this unknown mission of Onur Gencer was related to in North East Syria, where jihadist local mercenaries operating alongside the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have been infamous for the atrocities they have committed against Syrian Kurds.
“It has been stated that this assailant had gone to Manbij for a post and he stayed there. What kind of a post was that? Was he trained? What were his connections? All these issues have to be uncovered,” she said.
Considering the unsolved questions regarding the connections of Onur Gencer, and the type of post he was given in North East Syria, Aslan suspects that he might have been militarily trained in Syria and came back to Turkey.
“When the storyline is examined meticulously, the question arises as to whether Deniz was tortured when she was still alive. Based on whatever training he was given in Manbij, did he tried to scalp her? Was that the purpose, was that the intention? All these are hypotheses, but this man is no ordinary killer,” she stated.
Aslan stressed that they are trying to support the prosecutors in conducting an effective investigation by asking all possible questions, by handing them all possible evidence they have uncovered and any clues that they have discovered relating to Onur Gencer’s connections, but they are not sure if the prosecution has such a will to proceed accordingly.
“Getting this person out of custody and sending him to jail within 24 hours already gives the impression that there is no desire to deepen the investigation. Those conducting the investigation are only interested in the visible perpetrator,” she noted. “That is, by arresting the person who killed Deniz, they believe that they caught the perpetrator. However, we know well that the incident is not what it seems. We state that there is a background to that incident and the real perpetrators, the instigators, those who aided him, should be unmasked.”
