GÜLEÇ JUDGMENT OF 27 JULY 1998 9 Hüseyin Güleç (statement of 23 July 1991): “I live in the Asağı Mahalle district; the place where the events took place is 250 metres from my house. The sound of shots gradually intensified, lasting approximately two hours. I did not leave the house, I was afraid. I was unable to see anything of what was happening. Around noon, the sound of shooting stopped. Women passing my house in tears told me that my son Ahmet had been killed in the confrontation. That was how I learned that my son had been killed... According to what I was told, my son was killed in front of the bakery ... in the central market... He was on his way to school but, when he saw the demonstrators, he followed them. In the confrontation which arose during this demonstration, soldiers opened fire, killing my son. The district gendarmerie major, Mustafa Karatan, gave the order to fire. He is responsible for the death of my son.” Habip Aslançiçek (statement of 23 July 1991): “On the day in question, at about 8.30 a.m. ... I saw a group of demonstrators coming up Midyat Avenue towards the central market. There were men, women and children in the group. Most of the demonstrators had scarves over their faces. They were armed with stones and pieces of wood and were very worked up. Most of them went past the post office, but others stopped there and broke the windows. The Condor vehicle from the battalion arrived to make the crowd disperse. The men in the vehicle opened fire on the agitated demonstrators – or, rather, fired at the ground. Ahmet Güleç, a relative of mine, who died later in hospital, fell to the ground. I believe he was hit by a bullet which was fired at the ground but ricocheted and hit him, because if the shots had been aimed at the crowd, everyone in the group would have been killed. When Ahmet Güleç fell, wounded, I took him to the medical centre in the town hall taxi. In the meantime, other people had been wounded. I did not see the soldiers who were in the Condor, nor the person who fired. However, the shots fired to disperse the demonstrators did come from the Condor. I repeat, they did not open fire on the crowd. Stray bullets could have caused the death.” Celal Sabuk (statement of 24 July 1991): “On the day in question, I had gone ... to the centre of town to do some shopping. I was making my purchases when I saw a large group of demonstrators approaching. They were chanting slogans, but I could not understand what they were saying. I heard shots. I saw that shots were being fired from an armoured military vehicle. In the ensuing confusion and surprise I was hit by three bullets, which I think were fired from the armoured vehicle. I was wounded and fell to the ground. I fainted and so I do not know what happened afterwards.” On 1 August 1991 Mr Uymaz had to withdraw from the investigation, as he had been transferred. 26. On 8 August 1991 the Provincial Governor then appointed Mr Osman Kurt, the gendarmerie battalion’s commanding officer.