He took the life of national basketball player İlkan Karaman: His statements were shocking

33-year-old İlkan Karaman, who played for many teams in the Basketball Super League and also played for the A National Team, lost his life in a traffic accident on September 8, 2023, in the Datça district of Muğla, where he had recently moved.

Karaman, who had stopped in front of a gas station to move his belongings, was struck by a car driven by civil engineer Emre Ali Önder, who was determined to have a blood alcohol level of 1.19 promille.

Karaman, who was seriously injured, could not be saved despite all interventions at Marmaris State Hospital.

Emre Ali Önder, who was stated to have fled after the accident, was caught two hours later in front of Datça State Hospital and said in his initial statement that he was "under the influence of alcohol and had set out to get medicine for his mother."

A lawsuit was filed against Önder, who was determined by reports to have been driving under the influence and to be primarily at fault, with a request for 2 to 9 years in prison for the crime of "causing death by conscious negligence."

HE WAS RELEASED AT THE FIRST HEARING

The defendant stated at the first hearing on January 10 that he was sorry and requested his release. The court decided to release Önder, taking into account the time he spent in prison and judicial control measures such as a "travel ban and a signature requirement."

RE-ARRESTED

This decision drew a major reaction from Karaman's family and the public. The Datça Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision, and the Muğla 3rd High Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Emre Ali Önder. The defendant was taken into custody in Istanbul and arrested once again.

HIS DEFENSE CAUSED ASTONISHMENT

Making a new defense in court, Önder further increased public outrage by saying, "I am sorry for the accident that occurred, but I do not think I deserve such a major reaction."