KÖZ, a key witness in the Hablemitoğlu assassination trial, does not want to appear in court

Kemalettin Özdemir, known as "KÖZ" and the "police imam" of the era, who was ordered to testify in the assassination trial of writer and academic Assoc. Prof. Necip Hablemitoğlu, has submitted a strange petition stating that he does not want to attend the hearing and requesting that his testimony be taken in a special session.

In the hearing of the Hablemitoğlu assassination trial held on March 8, which is set to continue tomorrow at the Ankara 28th High Criminal Court, the request by some defendants and the lawyers of the Hablemitoğlu family to have Kemalettin Özdemir heard as a witness was accepted, and it was decided that he be "summoned with a direct warrant for forced appearance."

Kemalettin Özdemir was scheduled to be heard at Wednesday's hearing; however, Özdemir sent the following petition to the Court last Friday:

"I have a hospital appointment on the date in question due to health issues. Therefore, I request and demand that the necessary actions be taken for my testimony to be taken by opening a session on a day before or after the hearing."

It is considered certain that this request by Özdemir, which is contrary to procedure and practice, will not be accepted and that an arrest warrant will be issued for him if he does not appear in court.

DID HE KNOW ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION?

From the very beginning, it was alleged that the Hablemitoğlu assassination was carried out by "FETÖ." Naturally, it was expected that at least the testimony of the "police imam" of the era, Kemalettin Özdemir, would be sought.

However, Özdemir's name came to the fore following the testimony of former Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Interior Refik Ali Uçarcı, who knew Hablemitoğlu. In his testimony to the Prosecutor's Office in 2016, Uçarcı stated that Ferhat Ünlü, Abdurrahman Şimşek, and Murat Kelkitlioğlu interviewed Kemalettin Özdemir on the "Arka Plan" program broadcast on A Haber on October 30, 2015, and that Murat Kelkitlioğlu reminded him that the Hablemitoğlu murder took place during his time as imam and asked him various questions.

When Refik Ali Uçarcı was heard as a witness in court on December 1, 2023, defense lawyers asked various questions about Kemalettin Özdemir based on that statement. While Uçarcı said he did not watch the program in question and only saw it in the press, but that one should look at what Özdemir said, he responded to the question, "Since you established a connection because Kemalettin Özdemir was the police imam, do you suspect that FETÖ-affiliated police officers within the police force committed this act?" by saying, "Sir, I have not made such an assessment... I have no such intention, I have no such intention... I am saying it should be asked in the context of what he said, not because he is the police imam, but because Kemalettin Özdemir makes some statements during that television speech."

Following these statements by Uçarcı, the Court first requested the recording of the program in question from A Haber; however, the response came that the recordings are kept for 1 year and therefore could not be found. The Court then decided to hear Kemalettin Özdemir as a witness in person.

It has been interpreted that behind Özdemir's desire not to attend the hearing due to health reasons lies an effort to avoid being confronted with various questions before the trial, in which he is charged with "establishing and managing an armed terrorist organization" and which will be heard on September 11.

Kemalettin Özdemir, who is known to have served as the "police imam" until 2002-2003 and whose testimony given to the Ankara Police Department in 2015 was evaluated within the scope of "effective remorse," was later investigated in 2018 for "establishing and managing an armed terrorist organization" and was subjected to judicial control. This investigation was completed 6 years later, last month, and it was requested that Özdemir be sentenced to up to 22 years and 6 months in prison.

Müyesser YILDIZ

July 15, 2024