34 years have passed since the murder of journalist Çetin Emeç

Born in Istanbul in 1935, Çetin Emeç graduated from the Istanbul University Faculty of Law after attending Galatasaray High School.

Emeç began his professional career in 1952 at the age of just 17 at the "Son Posta" newspaper, which was owned by his father, Selim Ragıp Emeç. He took over the management of the newspaper after his father was elected as a Democrat Party deputy and subsequently arrested during the 1960 coup.

After serving as an editor-in-chief for several magazines, Emeç began working at the Hürriyet newspaper in 1972. He later left his position as General Publication Director at Hürriyet to join the Milliyet newspaper, where he served as General Publication Director between 1984 and 1985. Returning to Hürriyet in 1986, he took on the role of coordinator.

Most recently serving as a member of the Hürriyet Newspaper Board of Directors and as a columnist for the paper, Emeç had two children, Mehveş and Mehmet, from his marriage to Bilge Emeç.

HIS CAR WAS CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE

On March 7, 1990, journalist Çetin Emeç got into his car in front of his home in Kadıköy Suadiye to head to the newspaper office. Emeç lost his life at the age of 55 after being struck by bullets in various parts of his body while his car was caught in crossfire.

His driver, Sinan Ercan, who attempted to escape the vehicle, was also murdered by the attackers about 15 meters away.

The attackers who murdered Çetin Emeç abandoned the car they used to flee the scene in Bostancı and disappeared.

Emeç, who became a brand name in the Turkish press due to his achievements in journalism, was laid to rest at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery following a crowded funeral ceremony.

ONE OF THE MURDER SUSPECTS WAS CAPTURED 6 YEARS LATER

Six years after the murder, one of the suspects, İrfan Çağrıcı, was captured on March 2, 1996, at a bank branch in Kadıköy using a fake ID issued under the name "Rasim Ayar".

A case regarding the illegal "Islamic Movement Organization" was opened at the then-Istanbul No. 3 State Security Court in relation to the killing of Çetin Emeç.

The indictment stated that on March 7, 1990, organization member Tamer Arslan, who arrived at Emeç's home on Suadiye Suyanı Street, drove the car with license plate 34 FFE 21, which had been hijacked in Levent. It was noted that İrfan Çağrıcı sat in the front seat and Muzaffer Dalmaz in the back, and that Çağrıcı distributed the weapons he took from a bag provided by individuals of Iranian nationality named "Mustafa" and "Ali" to those in the vehicle.

The indictment emphasized that the suspects put on ski masks the moment Çetin Emeç left his house, that Tamer Arslan blocked the path of Emeç's car to prevent it from moving, and that Çağrıcı fired at Emeç, while Dalmaz first fired at the driver Sinan Ercan and then at Çetin Emeç.

SAFE HOUSES WERE RENTED

The indictment also detailed that after the act, Ahmet Kerimi gave İrfan Çağrıcı 10 thousand dollars, and that this money was used to rent safe houses in various districts.

İrfan Çağrıcı, a member of the so-called "Executive Council" of the illegal Islamic Movement Organization—which was held responsible for numerous murders, bombings, and extortion acts, including the killings of journalist and writer Çetin Emeç, Turan Dursun, and Iranian regime opponent Ali Akbar Gorbani—was sentenced to death for the crime of "attempting to change the constitutional order by force of arms", while 4 other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Çağrıcı's sentence was commuted to aggravated life imprisonment following the abolition of the death penalty within the framework of the "EU Harmonization Laws".