12punto is following every moment... Sinan Ateş trial enters its fourth day

Sinan Ateş trial enters its fourth day, journalist and 12punto columnist Müyesser Yıldız is reporting the developments moment by moment...

Sinan Ateş's wife, Ayşe Ateş, stated that she would testify in court today, adding that if the Presiding Judge does not listen to her statements that fall outside the scope of the indictment, she will deliver her statement to the press.

Sinan Ateş's mother, Saniye Ateş, fell ill during her testimony, and the Presiding Judge called medical personnel into the courtroom. Saniye Ateş had also fainted yesterday. 

At the start of today's session of the trial, held by the Ankara 32nd High Criminal Court at the Sincan Prison complex, the Presiding Judge announced that it had been determined by the Associate Judge that the instigator of the assassination, Doğukan Çep, had nodded his head in a threatening manner toward the complainants while being taken to the restroom twice during yesterday's session, and warned Çep. When Çep asked to speak, the judge said, “You cannot say anything.”

The hearing began with the defense of defendant Alper Atay's lawyer, Engin Çelebi.

09:00 The trial has begun

'YOU WILL DROWN IN THE TEARS OF AYŞE ATEŞ AND SANİYE ATEŞ'

CHP leader Özgür Özel made statements during the break in the hearing.

Özel said the following:

Sinan Ateş's mother, Saniye Ateş, spoke. Aside from the defendant's lawyer speaking for hours, there is not a word left to say after Saniye Ateş's testimony.

She said she wanted to learn not who shot her son, but who ordered the shooting. She said she wanted to know who the instigator was. She named politicians. 

She stated that Sinan Ateş had told her he would be killed. She fainted before she could finish her words.

Ayşe Hanım will speak shortly, and she will surely say very critical things as well. 

We all see who is being protected by those who take the blame and try to portray the matter as an ordinary murder. Everyone watching the trial is reaching the same conclusion. 

There is only one thing to say to those who govern the country and their partners: the spear no longer fits in the sack. To save your party and your government from this rot, you must separate the rotten ones. You will drown in the tears of Ayşe Ateş and Saniye Ateş. Separate a few rotten ones from this burden and you will all be saved. After a while, you will not be able to turn back. 

You are heading toward a very negative place in the nation's conscience. There is no political gain left in this business. This is a matter of conscience. The nation stands not with power, brute force, political threats, and blackmail, but with Saniye Ateş. 

Her family says; 'Those we thought were friends were enemies, and those we thought were enemies were friends.'

"MY SON TOLD ME 'THEY HAVE PULLED MY PLUG'"

Sinan Ateş's mother, Saniye Ateş, shared the following in her testimony: 

“I wish I could say 'thank God.' For 18 months, I have died and been resurrected. For 4 days, I have died 22 more times. He said, 'Mother, they have signed my death warrant, they are going to assassinate me.' One day he came wearing a bulletproof vest. He said, 'They have pulled my plug, mother.' He served as an advisor to İsmet Büyükataman for 10 years. İsmet Büyükataman is someone who has come and gone from my house... I don't know how much I can endure. Are these people this cruel? The children of those in prison long for their fathers' faces; my grandchildren will never see their fathers... The brother of the boy who died (in the attack on Çağrı Ünel in Mersin) threatened my son, and he said, 'I am not responsible. You will ask Olcay Kılavuz, Semih Yalçın, and İzzet Ulvi Yönter.' Mother, what should I do now, what should I say to them? I said, 'Go tell Bahçeli.' He tried to reach him many times, but they never let him through. They made my son the head of the Ülkü Ocakları to kill him. Not even a cup of tea was drunk without Devlet Bahçeli's knowledge. Is killing a person this simple? Are they a state above the state? I have held two funerals in 18 months. His father passed away because he couldn't bear it. My grandchildren close the doors and windows so nothing happens. Then I want an eye for an eye. Since it is this simple.”

“I AM NOT OF THE IDEALISM THEY BELIEVE IN”

“The lawyer says 'pulling the plug.' They followed my son many times. They can still come to my door. Are they trying to scare us by killing us? I waited 18 months for my child's killers to be revealed. Who are they intimidating in the heart of Ankara? If their consciences accept it, I leave it to their conscience,” she said. At that moment, Ayşe Ateş said, “You cannot leave anything to a non-existent conscience.” Saniye Ateş continued: “One of them says money... I never fed my child a penny of forbidden money. I raised such a child. My child became prey to the cruel. They are threatening my daughter-in-law; my daughter-in-law walks around in a bulletproof vest. Is there a state above this state? Where should I go, who should I go to? I am a Turk, I am a Muslim, I am an idealist, but I am not of the idealism they believe in. My child never did any harm to anyone, your honor. I worked my fingers to the bone to make him a teacher. I raised that child in a modest neighborhood. I want justice from those who killed my son. These are pawns. Those who killed my son will come out and be held accountable.”

'THE MERSİN INCIDENT IS WHAT TRIGGERED THIS'

Speaking after the defendants' statements, Ayşe Ateş said the following:

Sinan Ateş's wife, Ayşe Ateş, began her testimony:

“We have listened to the lies you have told until today; now, let the court panel listen to how a person was murdered. For days, the defendants have made insolent defenses. They said they killed the person who protected Sinan, even though they knew very well who shot Sinan and who ordered it. Eray Özyağcı shoots Sinan. He falls to the ground unconscious. If they had shot him in the legs, it wouldn't be like this. You have been playing theater here for 3 days. Who are you (the defendants called out). Eray Özyağcı and Doğukan Çep are hired killers. Sinan told me that Olcay Kılavuz and Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım were looking for a killer to have me killed, going door to door. My husband also served as the head of the Ülkü Ocakları; they don't even go to the restroom without the head of the Ülkü Ocakları knowing. The Mersin incident is what triggered this. The threats increased even more. He spoke with Çağrı Ünel. 'Çağrı, you are my brother, don't worry,' he said. Then, the person responsible for the murdered boy is Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım and those involved. I told Sinan, 'We are both civil servants, leave these things alone,' and he said, 'My state will protect me.' The President told me, 'Don't you worry, everything will be revealed.' There are dark forces above our President as well. Insults continued against Sinan under the instructions of Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım. Sinan had people beaten in the past. I told him, 'These don't suit you.' Sinan told me, 'Ayşe, I am carrying out the instructions coming from the MHP; if I don't do it, they will penalize me too.' Then Sinan was abruptly removed from the presidency of the Ülkü Ocakları. Perhaps he didn't fulfill what was requested.”

AYŞE ATEŞ NAMED NAMES

“I will say my final words; they will not be able to refrain from what they will do. Let what I know not go to the grave with me. When the threats started, Sinan told me, 'İzzet Ulvi Yönter and Semih Yalçın gave the order to kill me.'”

“Some individuals here were taken into custody many times, and when they were released, they destroyed evidence. The real perpetrators are outside. If they weren't outside, would the state give me protection? I don't know what the outcome of this court will be, but let these things I said be put on the record. This is not a banana republic. I want these statements to be added to the file. I want the missing statements to be added to the file and the indictment to be rewritten. I want justice in this country.”

MOTHER SANİYE ATEŞ RETURNED TO THE COURTROOM

CHP Trabzon Deputy Sibel Suiçmez, who intervened when Sinan Ateş's mother, Saniye Ateş, fell ill, reported that mother Saniye Ateş, who had been taken to the hospital, had returned to the courtroom. Suiçmez said, "Ateş, who was treated by medical teams due to high blood pressure, will continue to give her statement after the break."

SİNAN ATEŞ'S SISTER ALSO TESTIFIED

Sinan Ateş's sister, Selma Ateş Kazancı:

“The defendants and their relatives here are persistently following me; I will give my statements standing up so they can see me well. Even my own children are not more valuable than my brother. What matters is that justice is served. My children had to come to this court. They watched how their uncle was murdered. Sinan is our youngest brother. He grew up in a modest neighborhood in Bursa. We gave up our own lives to educate our brother. A professor doctor came out of a modest neighborhood. He became the Chairman of the Ülkü Ocakları. We had to be born into an idealist family. No one asked us if we would be leftists. We grew up within this community. Both Sinan and I served in middle school. We served in many institutions of the MHP. People who have infiltrated it have nothing to do with the periods we were in. I will not slander the MHP or the Ülkü Ocakları. We are children raised in the footsteps of Alparslan Türkeş. Sinan Ateş was abruptly brought to the presidency of the Ülkü Ocakları. Devlet Bey called Sinan and said, 'My son, I need to talk to you.' Nothing is hidden within our family. My brother would tell everything. Devlet Bey called; there is a word he said to Sinan. Let Devlet Bey say it himself. Sinan then resigned. He is the first person to resign. Reputation assassinations against Sinan Ateş began.”

“We worked intensively during the time İsmet Büyükataman was a deputy. Serkan Akın says to Ataman, 'Brother, lend a hand, they are pressuring Sinan.' Ataman says, 'Nothing will happen, at most they will slap him twice.' Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım and Olcay Kılavuz already had a grudge when Sinan Ateş took office. İzzet Ulvi Yönter, Semih Yalçın, Olcay Kılavuz... The relatives of the defendants scratched my car; I have been here for two or three days. My concern is with the people who prepared my brother's killer and the killers of other children. Sometimes you pray, sometimes you drink; you act according to the environment. My brother was killed in front of cameras. How many more years will they sit in those seats? I do not forgive any of them. This world did not remain for Suleiman the Magnificent. It won't remain for them either. We are 3 women: my mother, my sister Ayşe, and me... We are fighting for justice.”

Sinan Ateş's older sister Sevda Ateş Yörükoğlu, “My brother's killers are inside the MHP. Doğukan is only the instigator, Eray is only the one who pulled the trigger,” she said.

MOTHER SANİYE ATEŞ CONTINUED TO TESTIFY

Stating that Doğukan Çep, who is being tried on charges of being the instigator, threatened her daughter in court, Saniye Ateş, “The child called Doğukan is still making hand gestures while looking at my daughter. Do they want to kill my daughter too? I am complaining about İzzet Ulvi Yönter, Semih Yalçın, Olcay Kılavuz, and Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım. I want Devlet Bahçeli to find my son's killers,” she said.

Addressing the defendants, Saniye Ateş said, “Are your children living comfortably, can you sleep comfortably? They are trying to pin the murder on Selman Bozkurt. If he knew his brother would cut and chop him up, he would say, 'Okay, brother.' Let no one try to pin it on anyone for nothing. If they can sign death warrants, are they bigger than the state? How many more Sinans will they kill? They will explain to me why they killed my son. My heart is torn, your honor,” she said.

Stating that Sinan Ateş had to walk around with a bulletproof vest, Saniye Ateş said, “What did they want? How did such innocent (defendants) come together? How innocent they all are. Everyone is praying five times a day, on the path of Allah. Whoever has even a grain of involvement in this incident, may Allah make them suffer a thousand times worse. Why does my daughter-in-law have to walk around with a bulletproof vest? Are you now harassing women too?” she said.

SELMAN BOZKURT SPOKE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Selman Bozkurt, who was with Sinan Ateş when he was assassinated, spoke for the first time. 

Bozkurt said the following:

"The late Sinan Ateş was my maternal aunt's son and also my brother-in-law.

On the day of the incident, he suggested, 'Children, perform your ablutions, let's go to prayer. They are attacking me on social media. They might do something to me again.' Then we went to the mosque. He gave me one of the guns and said, 'This gun will bother me.'

After the prayer, the person came out from between the cars in a crouching position and shot my brother first, and then me. I fired in a panic. Then I saw my brother slumped on the ground. This is the beginning and the end of the incident. I stayed in intensive care for a week and was discharged. My brother had been under attack with heavy insults for the last year. May God grant him a place in heaven; we are pleased with him."

'WE HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH OFFICES OR PARTIES'

Şeyda Şahin, one of the Ateş family's lawyers and a friend of Sinan Ateş for 20 years, stated:

“Sinan Ateş is an academic and also an important political figure. There is an Olcay Kılavuz file that was separated in 2023. There is Ülkü Ocakları Chairman Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım in this file in 2022. There is a name called Talha Atalay, Murat Kırılıç, Suat Yılmazbozu. These were identified because we were able to get the documents. When we look at this file as lawyers, both as defense counsel and as attorneys for the complainants, the confidentiality order on this file has in no way remained. The first question was directed at Olcay Kılavuz, and a warning came saying, 'Questions are limited to the indictment.' I should have been able to ask this question. Our right to ask questions was constantly under blockade. We couldn't ask any questions. There are 2 vehicles that entered the file; let's not be afraid, let justice be served. There are two vehicles with AT and DB license plates. These two vehicles have constantly traveled one after the other in millions of coincidences. Why are we afraid to question who these vehicles belong to? Yes, these vehicles belong to the MHP. They were bought by the MHP and allocated to the Ülkü Ocakları. We have no business with offices or parties.”

'WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SLEEP SOUNDLY'

Kürşat Ergün, one of the Ateş family's lawyers, said the following:

“There are two files regarding the same murder case. One is in the investigation stage, and one is in front of us. That is why we cannot ask some of the questions we need to ask. It was clear that this file would be broken the moment the indictment was accepted. We are trying to see files that you cannot separate separately. No one can bring Sinan Ateş back after this hour. However, if the people involved in the Sinan Ateş act are not punished, we will not be able to sleep soundly.”

16:30 In the Sinan Ateş murder trial, the Presiding Judge expelled CHP Deputy Mahmut Tanal from the courtroom.

HISTORY OF THE CASE

The Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court filed a lawsuit against only 22 detained defendants on April 26 and accepted the indictment on May 7.

Among the 22 detained defendants to be tried are former Ülkü Ocakları executives Tolgahan Demirbaş, Emre Yüksel, and Serdar Öktem.

In the indictment, for the hitman Eray Özyağcı and those who brought him to the scene and helped him escape, Vedat Balkaya and Suat Kurt, an aggravated life sentence is requested for the crime of "premeditated murder."

For the defendants alleged to have ''organized the armed action'', Doğukan Çep and suspect former Ülkü Ocakları executive Tolgahan Demirbaş,anaggravated life sentence is requested for the crime of ''instigating the crime and premeditated murder in participation against the victim.''

For the defendants Zekeriya Asarlaya, Hakan Saraç, Ufuk Köktürk, Mehmet Yüce, Mustafa Uzunlar, Askın Mert Gelenbey, Murat Can Çolak, Osman Bayraktar, Caner Güney, Umut Ersoy, Çaglar Zorlu, Aytaç Ataç, Emre Yüksel, Serdar Öktem, Erdem Karadeniz, Alper Atay, Mustafa Ensar Aykal, a prison sentence is requested for the crime of ''aiding the crime committed in participation, premeditated murder in participation against the victim.''