Verdict reached in imam-petty officer case
A verdict has been reached in the case opened following the robbery of an imam in Van and his relationship with gendarmerie personnel.
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The incident between Gendarmerie Petty Officer Gül Kılıç, who served at the Gevaş District Gendarmerie Command in Van, and an imam identified as İ.S., and the subsequent trial, have made headlines. The court decided to release the defendants, who were convicted of "qualified robbery."
WHAT HAPPENED?
Petty Officer Gül Kılıç met the imam, İ.S., who lived in Bitlis, on social media after her divorce. The two met in a vehicle on the Van-Erciş highway on the night of August 28. However, this meeting turned into a shocking robbery.
Petty Officer Kılıç called Gendarmerie Specialist Sergeant Orhan Ersoy and Gendarmerie Specialist Corporal Ömer Keleşoğlu, who were under her command, to the scene. The specialist sergeants recorded the imam, İ.S., on camera and threatened him, saying, "If you tell anyone, the video will be spread." They then beat the imam and transferred the money in his account to their own accounts.
Kılıç left the scene in a vehicle belonging to a person named Taner Şirp. Following the imam's complaint, the gendarmerie personnel and the civilian involved in the incident were arrested.
COURT REACHED A VERDICT
In the trial held at the Van 1st High Criminal Court, the defendants Gül Kılıç, Orhan Ersoy, Ömer Keleşoğlu, and Taner Şirp were sentenced to 13 years in prison for the crime of "qualified robbery." However, taking into account that the victim's damages were compensated, the court reduced the sentence to 6.5 years and decided to release the defendants.
TENSION IN THE COURTROOM
During the hearing, Gendarmerie Specialist Sergeant Orhan Ersoy's remark to Petty Officer Gül Kılıç, "You are an escort," caused tension in the courtroom. While this statement was recorded in the minutes, it was learned that Kılıç shed tears frequently throughout the hearing.