Izmir police officer remembered as hero "who saved hundreds of lives"

Police officer Fethi Sekin was on duty when a suspicious vehicle attempted to force its way into a courthouse in the Turkish city of Izmir on January 5. His timely intervention prevented a large-scale attack that could have claimed the lives of dozens of people in the area.

Sekin confronted the attackers, stopping them from entering the building. He killed one of the two terrorists before losing his life. A court employee was also killed and seven people were injured.

The terrorists were carrying Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades and ammunition for rocket-propelled grenade launchers to carry out a large-scale attack in the courthouse, officials investigating the case said.

"If they (terrorists) had succeeded, our beautiful city of Izmir might have witnessed a major-scale disaster," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said after landing in Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport to visit the scene and meet local officials.

"Our martyred hero, Officer Fethi Sekin, sacrificed his life without second thoughts, and prevented a much bigger calamity," Yildirim said.

Sekin was born in Elazig in the eastern part of Turkey. A traffic police officer, he served at the Izmir Courthouse for about 9 years. He had three children.

TRT World's Ali Mustafa has more.

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