Aggravated life sentence requested for defendant in Yalova SGK lawyer murder case

Hamza Hanedar had applied for disability retirement following a stroke he suffered in Yalova, but his application was rejected by the SGK. Hanedar took the matter to court, lost the case, and was subsequently issued a legal fee debt of 53 thousand TL by the SGK. When he failed to pay the debt, a block was placed on Hanedar's credit card. Following these developments, Hamza Hanedar arrived at the SGK Yalova Provincial Directorate on the morning of January 7, requesting to speak with lawyer Zekeriya Polat.

Following an argument in the lawyer's office, Hanedar opened fire on Polat with a handgun he was carrying. Zekeriya Polat was wounded by two bullets that struck him in the abdomen. With the intervention of gendarmerie teams present at the institution at the time, Hamza Hanedar was apprehended and handed over to the police. Critically wounded, Polat was rushed to the hospital by ambulance but could not be saved despite all efforts. The funeral of Zekeriya Polat, who had a 2-year-old child and worked under the disability quota, was held in his hometown of Kahramanmaraş. Hanedar, who carried out the attack, was arrested following the incident.

DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT: NO PERSONNEL PRESENT AT THE X-RAY CHECKPOINT

The indictment prepared following the investigation completed by the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office included an analysis of security camera footage regarding the moment of the incident. The cameras revealed that Hamza Hanedar entered the SGK building at 10:53 and passed through the X-ray machine, but there was no official present at the device at that time. The lack of any supervision despite the system being operational was among the notable details regarding the incident.

PROSECUTOR REJECTS UNJUST PROVOCATION REDUCTION

In the six-page indictment, it was requested that Hamza Hanedar be tried for "premeditated murder of a person performing a public duty" with an aggravated life sentence, while a prison sentence of up to three years was requested for the crime of carrying an unlicensed firearm. The prosecutor pointed out that it is not possible to apply an "unjust provocation reduction" in favor of the perpetrator in this incident. The trial will begin in the coming days.

News Source: 12punto