Temporary Apprehension
Ahmet Hulusi Akkaş, Eren AkpınarApprehension is a protection measure that allows the temporary restriction of liberty of a person suspected of committing a crime in the criminal procedure process. Although it is dependent on the assurance of a judge because of its nature, it is possible for the apprehension to be made without any judicial decision. One of these cases is temporary apprehension by civilians. Temporary apprehension can be performed by anyone. Temporary apprehension is regulated by Article 90/1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure No. 5271. In the provision, the objective conditions required for temporary apprehension are stated as cases where the person is encountered while committing a crime, there is a possibility that the person being pursued due to a red-handed act will escape or it is not possible to immediately determine his identity. For a lawful temporary apprehension, in addition to objective elements, the person must make the apprehension with the idea that a criminal investigation will be conducted against the suspect. For a temporary apprehension to be made, there must be a strong suspicion that the person has committed a crime. In temporary apprehension, the duration of pursuit due to a red-handed act is not important for the person making the apprehension. Pursuing may continue until the person being pursued for a red-handed action is caught. Because the temporary apprehension will be carried out by civilians, the apprehension must continue until the handover to law enforcement. Therefore, it must be within a certain time limit. On the other hand, the apprehension to be applied to a person has a limited authority of coercion.
Geçici Yakalama (CMK m. 90/1’e Göre Yakalamanın Herkes Tarafından Yapılması)
Ahmet Hulusi Akkaş, Eren AkpınarYakalama, ceza muhakemesi sürecinde suç işlediği yönünde hakkında şüphe bulunan kişinin geçici bir süre için özgürlüğünün kısıtlanmasına imkân veren koruma tedbiridir. Niteliği itibariyle hâkim güvencesine bağlı olmasına rağmen yakalamanın fiili durumlarda herhangi bir karar olmadan yapılması mümkündür. Bu durumlardan biri sivil kişiler tarafından gerçekleştirilen geçici yakalamadır. Geçici yakalama, herkes tarafından yapılabilir. Geçici yakalama, 5271 sayılı Ceza Muhakemesi Kanunu m. 90/1’de düzenlenmiştir. Hükümde, kişiye suç işlerken rastlanması veya suçüstü bir fiilden dolayı izlenen kişinin kaçması olasılığının bulunması ya da hemen kimliğini belirleme olanağının bulunmaması halleri geçici yakalama için gereken objektif şartlar olarak belirtilmiştir. Hukuka uygun bir geçici yakalama için objektif unsurların yanında kişinin yakalamayı şüphelinin hakkında bir ceza soruşturması yürütüleceği fikri ile yapması şarttır. Geçici yakalamanın yapılabilmesi için kişinin bir suç işlediği hususunda kuvvetli şüpheye sahip olunması gerekir. Geçici yakalamada, yakalama yapacak kişi açısından suçüstü bir fiil sebebiyle yapılan izlemenin süresi önemli değildir. Suçüstü fiilden dolayı izlenen kişinin yakalanmasına kadar izleme devam edebilir. Geçici yakalama sivil kişiler tarafından gerçekleştirileceğinden, yakalamanın kolluğa teslime kadar sürmesi şarttır. Bu yüzden zaman olarak belirli bir sınırda olmalıdır. Bir kişi üzerinde uygulanacak yakalama ise sınırlı bir zorlama yetkisini barındırmaktadır.
Temporary apprehension is a protective measure that allows a person suspected of having committed a crime to be caught by people who witnessed the crime. Temporary apprehension is only made in actual cases without any judicial decision. By its nature, it is a type of apprehension that can be performed by anyone, not just law enforcement officers.
Since the committing of a crime is often witnessed by civilians, it is a necessity to determine the limits of the measures in which people can make apprehension. In accordance with this obligation, the conditions for the temporary apprehension of civilians are regulated in Article 90/1 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Accordingly, temporary apprehension can be made in cases where the person is encountered while committing a crime, if there is a possibility that the person being pursued will escape due to an act of red-handed crime, or if there is no possibility of immediately determining the person’s identity. In addition to these objective conditions, when making a temporary apprehension, people must hold the suspect for prosecuting him for the crime he has committed. Considering the form of regulation in the law, temporary apprehension is not an obligation for civilians. It is a right. Although the person against whom a crime has been committed is protected by temporary apprehension, the main purpose is to punish the perpetrator for the crime he committed.
In terms of apprehension, the duration of the pursuit due to a red-handed act is not important. It may take time until the person being pursued for the crime is apprehended. The person who makes the temporary apprehension does not necessarily have to be the person who initiated the initial pursuit. The person who witnesses and pursues the crime may ask other people to catch the perpetrator. While making a temporary apprehension, the suspect can be detained and slightly injured. The important thing is to perform a measured act in connexion with the current state of crime. Since the purpose of temporary apprehension is to ensure that the suspect is prosecuted, this protection measure must be carried out for a limited time.
It is not necessary for the apprehended person to actually commit the crime, but it is sufficient that there is a strong suspicion. Because the temporary apprehension will be made by civilians, it is not possible to expect these people to determine whether a crime has been committed or not. On the other hand, if the person who is found guilty of a crime is a child, an evaluation should be made according to the distinction in Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code. Since there is no punishment in the first group for minors, there can be no legal purpose in apprehending. In terms of the second and third groups, temporary apprehension can be made due to the presence of defect capabilities.
It is possible to make temporary apprehensions in crimes subject to complaint. Since temporary apprehension will be made by civilians, it is not possible to expect these people to know whether the crime they encounter is based on a complaint or not. If it is understood by law enforcement officers that the crime is due to the complaint after the person’s apprehension, the capture will have to be stopped from that moment. Temporary apprehension may also be made for deputies, ministers, and diplomats for whom special trial conditions have been determined. So much so that if there is any doubt about the identities of these people who are found guilty of committing a crime, temporary apprehension can be made in such a case. However, if it is clear that the person has immunity, temporary apprehension should not be carried out.
