13.5-Year Sentence for CHP Driver: Bus Counted as Weapon Against Police
Bus Driver Indicted for Resisting Police in Ankara
In a recent indictment by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Gökhan Gülyurt, a bus driver, faces serious charges after an incident involving multiple police officers from the Traffic Supervision Branch Directorate. The case has sparked considerable attention, as it highlights legal tensions between public transport authorities and law enforcement.
According to the indictment, on April 23, Gülyurt was operating a bus bearing the official plate 06 CHP 66, when he allegedly ignored requests from police officers, including Sare Y. and Okan A., to stop the vehicle on Hippodrome Street. The officers were attempting to direct the bus towards a designated bus stop when the situation escalated.
Witnesses reported that Gülyurt failed to heed repeated warnings to pull over, prompting Officer Mehmet Ö. to position himself alongside the road to prevent a potential collision. Despite these measures, Gülyurt continued driving, resulting in further attempts by Officers Yasemin K. and Okan Y. to stop him as he proceeded onto Atatürk Boulevard.
In his defense, Gülyurt claimed that the size and weight of the bus impacted his ability to stop safely, asserting that the officers’ demands were unreasonable. He further contended that the bus, in this instance, was being treated "as a gun," underlining the perceived exaggeration of the police response to the situation.
The indictment states that Gülyurt’s actions constituted resistance to law enforcement duties, with Gökhan Gülyurt facing a cumulative sentence of 13 years and 6 months for the alleged offenses. The document detailed how the police officers issued separate stop orders at various locations but were continuously disregarded by the suspect.
As the case unfolds, it raises significant questions about the interaction between public transport operations and law enforcement, as well as the implications of resisting police authority—issues that are increasingly pertinent in urban environments. The outcome of the indictment awaits to be seen, but it marks a crucial moment in addressing compliance with law enforcement and public safety standards in Ankara.
