Rental crisis continues to turn into violence: 7 years and 1 month in prison for stabbing with a fork

The verdict has been announced in the trial of landlord Mehmet Cengiz Bilik and two other defendants, who were charged with insulting and attacking a tenant in Bakırköy who refused a rent increase, as well as assaulting another person present in the home.

Non-detained defendant Nizam Şimşek and the lawyers for both parties attended the hearing at the Bakırköy 39th Criminal Court of First Instance.

"SHOOT IF NECESSARY"

When asked for his defense during the hearing, defendant Şimşek stated, "I want to make a sincere confession. I want to benefit from the effective remorse provision. At that time, I was taking on part-time bodyguard and security jobs with an acquaintance. I met with Mehmet Cengiz at a cafe in Şirinevler along with Serdar and a friend named Şahin who worked with us. When we went there that day, Mehmet Cengiz told us, 'I have 400 apartments in Ataköy, be with me while I collect the rents.' We accepted the security job. He asked us, 'I have another job, can you help me with that too?' He said he had an apartment, that people were squatting in it, and that if we helped him evict the tenant, he would pay us 20 thousand dollars. He gave us the job, saying, 'Shoot them in the legs if necessary.' Since I was thinking of getting married at the time and was working for minimum wage, I accepted the job. The next day, we went to the lady's house. When we knocked on the door, we left because only the woman was home and Nadir was not there. We told her to move out. We said, 'It would be best for you if you move out of this house as soon as possible,'" he said.

7 YEARS AND 1 MONTH IN PRISON

Following the defendant's defense, the court announced its verdict, sentencing defendant Mehmet Cengiz Bilik to a total of 20 months in prison for the crime of "intentionally causing injury with a weapon that can be treated with simple medical intervention" against Nadir Önüç and Guldzhakhan Krıtchkaıa.

The court sentenced defendant Bilik to 3 years, 1 month, and 15 days for "threatening with a weapon," 3 months and 10 days for "damaging property," 1 year and 8 months for "violating the immunity of a residence by force with more than one person," and 4 months and 5 days for "insult." Defendant Bilik was sentenced to a total of 7 years and 1 month in prison for all these crimes. Meanwhile, defendants Nizam Şimşek and Serdar Ok were sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison for the crime of "threatening with more than one person."

FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OPINION

In his opinion, the public prosecutor stated that defendant Mehmet Cengiz Bilik had come to the home of his tenant Guldzhakhan on July 2 and attacked both complainants inside. The opinion noted that Bilik had a fork in his hand at the time, that he was accompanied by someone else, and that both complainants were injured in a way that could be treated with simple medical intervention. It was also stated that the defendant threw items from the refrigerator onto the floor and used profanity while brandishing the fork. It was further explained in the opinion that landlord Bilik insulted both complainants and threatened them by saying, "I will kill you, I will not let you live." The opinion also noted that defendant Bilik had incited the crime of threat by sending defendants Nizam Şimşek and Serdar Ok, who were added to the consolidated file, to the complainant. The prosecutor's opinion requested that defendant Mehmet Cengiz Bilik be sentenced to a total of 6 to 17 years and 9 months in prison for the crimes of "threat," "intentional injury," "chain-offense insult," "damaging property," and "violating the immunity of a residence." It was requested that the other defendants, Nizam Şimşek and Serdar Ok, be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison each for the crime of "threat."

News Source: İHA