Investigators visit scene of Elçi's killing on third day

Police officers visited the scene where Diyarbak?r Bar Association head Tahir Elçi was killed on Nov. 28 a full two days after the incident occurred, collecting just 43 out of 83 pieces of evidence in the area after they were fired upon by unknown perpetrators.

The incident marks the second attack on the group investigating the site where Elçi was killed in the southeastern province of Diyarbak?r's Sur district.

Militants attacked the commission - which included Diyarbak?r Chief Public Prosecutor Ramazan Solmaz, deputy public prosecutor Gürkan Kütük, lawyers, crime scene investigators and bar representatives - with long-barreled weapons and hand-made explosives, shortly after they conducted their inspection at the crime scene. 

Elçi was killed on Nov. 28 during an armed conflict that erupted after the killing of two police officers by gunmen in the Sur district.

Some 43 pieces of evidence were collected by the officials. After the gun attacks, the officials had to leave without collecting 40 other pieces of evidence they had determined at the scene. 

Republican People's Party (CHP) Diyarbak?r deputy candidate Naci Sapan made examinations in the area to prepare a report to be delivered to the party's leader, Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu. Sapan told Hürriyet on Nov. 30 that children were playing with the evidence at the scene as many people passed by. 

He said Elçi's blood was still on the ground amid the evidence and that no security measures had been taken in the area. 

The possibility of finding the evidence through a thorough investigation appears to have been lost, said Sapan. 

"The area should have been taken under protection after the incident. I have seen children playing with the numbers left to...