Attorney Doğan Zafer Çıngı reports on the Newborn Gang trial from Bakırköy Courthouse: 'They don't want the case to touch the Ministry'

Şenol ÇARIK- 12punto.com.tr

In the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal organization trial, the defendants and their lawyers presented their defenses against the opinion on the merits. While objections to the statements of secret witnesses, requests for effective remorse, and allegations of threats drew attention, some defendants questioned the transparency of the process with demands for a fair trial. 

Attorney Doğan Zafer Çıngı from the People's Lawyers, who has been following the Newborn Gang trial in the courtroom for two days, shared the details with 12punto writer Şenol Çarık.

'I AM CONVINCED THAT SOMETHING IS BEING HIDDEN IN THIS FILE'

Çıngı stated the following:

The questioning of the defendants is currently taking a very long time. Because it is an indictment of approximately 1,300 pages. The judge has questions, the prosecutor has questions. The number of lawyers for the parties is also very high, both for the complainants and the defendants. Each side is asking multiple separate questions. Today is the second session. I am convinced that something is being hidden in this file. They do not want the case to touch the Ministry. The court is currently asking questions based on general truths that everyone knows; questions like 'which hospitals did this happen in, who did these things in the hospitals, who were the intermediaries, were there nurses, were there doctors?'”

'DOES THE 112 EMERGENCY SERVICE HAVE A HAND IN THE TRANSFERS?'

Recalling that the Ministry of Health lawyer objected to the question “Does the 112 Emergency Service have a hand in the transfers?” directed at the detained nurse, and that the Presiding Judge accepted the ministry lawyer's objection that the question should not be asked, Attorney Doğan Zafer Çıngı said, “Today, the hearing is actually continuing with the truths that everyone knows being stated before the court.”

Attorney Doğan Zafer Çıngı

“A HISTORIC TRIAL REGARDING THE STATE TO WHICH OUR HEALTH SYSTEM HAS BEEN BROUGHT”

‘The hearing is planned to last five days, but in my personal opinion, it seems a bit difficult for it to last five days. It is very crowded and very intense. It is a file that has the potential to last longer than 5 days, and since only the second defendant has been heard so far, no concrete situation has occurred yet,’ said Çıngı, continuing his words:

“I will not provide very detailed information as it is in the prosecution stage, but this is a historic trial regarding the extent to which the Turkish health system has collapsed and the stage our health system has been brought to, especially in the last 20 years. If we look at it in the history of the Republic, and even in terms of all countries, the hearing of such a case is unique in history. In this sense, it is a negative case for our country, but it will be an important case if it reaches a real conclusion in terms of legal proceedings.

If all the criminals, from those who gave the orders to those at the very bottom, can be tried and the case can reach this point, it will be an important case in terms of its outcome. In fact, the lives of dozens, perhaps hundreds of children have been sacrificed for money. We will follow the hearing until the final stage.”