Covering the 19th İstanbul Pride March planned to be held in Taksim on June 26, 2021, AFP (Agence France-Presse) reporter Bülent Kılıç was detained by the police with his neck pressed and rear-handcuffed (June 26).

İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the police officers. Kılıç also submitted a complaint about the police officers. He requested compensation for spiritual damages and also compensation for the damaged equipment (August 4).

2023

İstanbul 8th Administrative Court ruled that the police officers “exceeded the authority to use force and used disproportionate force and that there was therefore a neglect of duty. A total of 30 thousand 95 lira of compensation is to be paid to Kılıç, 10 thousand 95 lira for material, and 20 thousand lira for spiritual damages. (January 9).

Prosecutor Aysel Daşkıran closed the investigation that was opened for the police officers. Daşkıran indicated that “no conclusive, sufficient, legal and convincing evidence that is beyond all suspicion can be obtained,” that the police officers had intentionally thrown Kılıç’s camera on the ground and committed the crime of “damage to property.”

Prosecutor Daşkıran prepared an indictment for Bülent Kılıç on the same day and accused journalist Kılıç of “resisting the officers in order to keep them from doing their duty,” and “insulting public officials openly because of their duty,” based on the statements of two police officers working at the Narcotic Branch. İstanbul 19th Penal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment but has not yet determined a date for a hearing (March 16).