Who is Metin Göktepe, when and why did he die? Biography of Metin Göktepe

Journalist Metin Göktepe was subjected to police violence and beaten to death 28 years ago today at the Istanbul Eyüp Indoor Sports Hall while performing his profession.

Social media users are searching for the answers to the questions: 'Who is Metin Göktepe?', 'Why did Metin Göktepe die?' and 'How did the Metin Göktepe trial process develop?'

WHO IS METIN GÖKTEPE?

He was born on April 10, 1968, in the village of Çipil in the Gürün district of Sivas. Metin Göktepe had 7 siblings.

He attended primary school in his hometown of Çipil and middle school in Esenler, Istanbul. He graduated from Bakırköy İbrahim Turhan High School. He completed his undergraduate education in the Department of Finance at the Faculty of Economics of Istanbul University.

In 1979, he settled in Istanbul with his younger brother Aziz, before his mother and father. Throughout his education, he worked during summer holidays to earn his pocket money.

Metin Göktepe became interested in politics through his sister and brother who worked in factories, and through an association he attended for social activities. He participated in student protests at university.

He began his journalism career in 1992 at the magazine 'Gerçek'. In 1995, he started working as a reporter for the newspaper Evrensel.

WHY DID METIN GÖKTEPE DIE?

Metin Göktepe went to Alibeyköy on January 8, 1996, to cover the funeral of prisoners killed in Ümraniye Prison, but he was not allowed into the district on the grounds that he did not have a press card. When he insisted on following the news, he was detained.

He was taken to the Eyüp Indoor Sports Hall along with 1,000 other people who had been detained. While in custody, he was beaten to death by police officers who said, "Special treatment for the journalist."

The Prime Minister of the time, Tansu Çiller, and the Istanbul Police Chief, Orhan Taşanlar, claimed that Metin Göktepe had not been detained; the Eyüp Public Prosecutor, Erol Canözkan, claimed that he had been detained but then fell from a chair after feeling unwell while sitting in a tea garden.

The Minister of the Interior at the time, Teoman Ünüsan, made a statement on the program '32. Gün' on January 11, 1996, saying, "I do not have full information about the subject. However, the latest information received is that Metin Göktepe died after falling from a wall."

On January 22, 1996, the Prime Minister of the time, Tansu Çiller, was forced to announce that Göktepe had not fallen from a wall, but had been detained.

When the thesis he defended was debunked, the Minister of the Interior at the time, Teoman Ünüsan, apologized to Metin Göktepe's mother, Fadime Göktepe, but Fadime Göktepe did not accept this apology and demanded that those responsible be put on trial.

METIN GÖKTEPE TRIAL PROCESS

The case, which was opened, was moved from Istanbul to Aydın and then to Afyon over the course of 3 years. In the decision reached at the hearing held in February 1999, 6 of the 11 officers were sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison.

On May 5, 1999, the Court of Cassation upheld the sentences of the 6 defendants and overturned the verdict regarding the 5 police chiefs on substantive grounds. The police officers, who benefited from conditional release under the amnesty known in the public as the 'Rahşan Amnesty', served a total of 1 year and 8 months in prison.

Metin Göktepe became the first journalist among all journalists killed in custody up to that date whose killers' crimes were confirmed by a court ruling.

Metin Göktepe's grave is located in the Kemer Cemetery in the Esenler district of Istanbul.

News Source: 12punto

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