Germany fails to return suspect linked to prosecutor's killing


Two years into the killing of Mehmet Selim Kiraz, a prosecutor gunned down by two Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) terrorists, German authorities are yet to extradite Musa Aşoğlu, a senior figure of the terrorist group, after his capture in Hamburg.Kiraz was the prosecutor assigned to the case of Berkin Elvan, who participated in the 2013 Gezi Park riots and died after he was hit in the head by a teargas canister that police fired.The two DHKP-C militants, seemingly in an act of retaliation, stormed the room of Kiraz and held him hostage for hours. Security forces later stormed the prosecutor's room in Istanbul's Çağlayan courthouse complex after the terrorists killed Kiraz. Both terrorists identified as Şafak Yayla and Bahtiyar Doğruyol were shot dead.Musa Aşoğlu, who is accused of ordering and masterminding the attack along with eight other DHKP-C figures, was captured in Germany last year and Turkey immediately sought his extradition.German authorities, however, citing concerns that he would be held in solitary confinement in Turkey, refused to return Aşoğlu.Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office had launched an investigation into the killing and issued arrest warrants for leaders of the DHKP-C, who are believed to be hiding abroad, mostly in European countries.It was found that both Doğruyol and Yayla had contacted DHKP-C members in Greece and Bulgaria, while holding Kiraz hostage.Along with Musa Aşoğlu, Turkey also seeks arrests of Seher Demir Şen, Nuri Eryüksel, Zerrin Sarı, Hüseyin Fevzi Tekin, Şerafettin Gül, Sadi Naci Özpolat and Mesut Demirel.Aşoğlu and Şen are also among suspects wanted by the U.S., which designates the DHKP-C a terrorist group and holds the group responsible for carrying out a suicide bombing at the U.S. embassy in Ankara in 2013.Germany recently faced harsh criticism from Turkish officials following a string of rejections to Turkey's requests for detention and extradition of terror suspects implicated in attacks targeting Turkey."Germany is a country that has embraced both PKK and DHKP-C terrorists - those who create trouble for Turkey," Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said last month.The DHKP-C, although less influential in Turkey than other terrorist organizations like the PKK, still represents a considerable threat to the country, with a string of attacks over the recent years.The group was founded in 1978 and was most active during the Cold War era. Purportedly supporting a Marxist-Leninist ideology, the group has renewed its attacks in recent years and is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the U.S.However, it enjoys relative freedom in European countries, such as Greece, where DHKP-C militants avoid prosecution by claiming they are politically persecuted in Turkey. Several militants plotting attacks in Turkey were captured after infiltrating the country following their release by Greek courts.