Turkey: Police officer killed after being hit by car whose driver refused to stop

A 23-year-old police officer was killed on Wednesday night in the western province of Manisa after being hit by a car whose driver refused to stop, despite being ordered to do so by the officer.

The incident took place at a crossroads on the Izmir-Ankara highway near the district of Turgutlu. Officer Ömer Faruk Aydin was part of a patrolling police team that was ordered to stop a car with the license plate "35 DA 8402" after the police department received a tip-off. The driver of the car refused to obey the officer's order and drove his car into Aydin, who was standing outside his car at the time. Aydin, who had been serving as a police officer for two years, was severely injured and his colleagues called an ambulance. He was taken to the Turgutlu State Hospital, where he died of his wounds.

Manisa Governor Erdogan Bektas and Manisa Police Chief Tayfur Erdal Ceren went to the hospital where Aydin was taken. Speaking to the media, Governor Bektas said: "We feel the sorrow of losing a young officer. He could have been more cautious. He died while performing his duty. May God have mercy on him."

Police Chief Ceren told the media that the car that was involved in the incident was captured and two people in the car were detained, while two others are currently at large. "At the moment, we don't know why the driver didn't stop. But, we know that those detained have criminal records related to illegal drug offenses. An investigation is under way," Ceren said.