Notable ruling in the ABK case: Non-prosecution granted for the crime they were arrested and suspended for

Eleven defendants, seven of whom were in custody, were being tried in the case concerning the escape of the secret witness Sertçelik, who is linked to the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal organization. With the decision of the Ankara 13th Criminal Court of First Instance, there are no longer any defendants remaining in custody in the file.

THE CASE PROCESS

An investigation was launched following the statements of complainant Erkan D., who went to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on September 7, 2023, and filed a complaint against Ayhan Bora Kaplan and members of the underground criminal organization known as the "Kaplans."

Members of the criminal organization were held responsible for incidents such as murder, armed assault, kidnapping and torture, extortion, battery, and forced check writing, in line with the instructions and knowledge of Ayhan Bora Kaplan, who is alleged to be the leader of the organization.

On September 8, 2023, Ayhan Bora Kaplan was apprehended by the Ankara Police Department's Anti-Organized Crime teams while attempting to flee abroad.

Following the statements of "secret witness" Serdar Sertçelik, Ankara Deputy Provincial Police Chief Murat Çelik, Anti-Organized Crime Branch Manager Kerem Gökay Öner, Branch Deputy Manager Şevket Demircan, and Branch Commissioners Ufuk Gültekin, Gökhan Karaca, Metehan İlkyaz, along with three civilians, were taken into custody.

As a result of the administrative investigation initiated by the General Directorate of Security upon allegations that some police officers were linked to the criminal organization, nine police officers were suspended on October 11, 2023.

The indictment prepared against 11 people, including 6 police officers, within the scope of the "secret witness" investigation linked to the criminal organization, was accepted by the Ankara 13th Criminal Court of First Instance in July.

In the case heard on July 18 regarding the escape of secret witness Sertçelik, where 11 defendants were being tried, the court ruled for the release of suspended commissioner Metehan İlkyaz, one of the detained defendants, and adjourned the hearing to Tuesday, September 3. Following the hearing held today, there are no defendants left in custody in the file.

SURPRISING DETAIL FROM İSMAİL SAYMAZ REGARDING THE COURT DECISION

Journalist İsmail Saymaz, who made a post regarding the case in which no detained defendants remain, pointed out that the issue for which the released police officers received a non-prosecution decision was the very same issue that led to their arrest and suspension, thereby drawing attention to this conceptual confusion and the court's decision.

Saymaz wrote the following:

"The police chiefs and commissioners arrested in the Ayhan Bora Kaplan investigation were released today.

It has emerged that a non-prosecution decision was also issued for the same chiefs and commissioners regarding the crime of committing offenses against the constitutional order.

However, the police officers had been arrested and suspended for this very crime."