Chronological timeline of the 'newborn gang' investigation

An indictment has been prepared regarding 47 suspects, 22 of whom are in custody, accused of acting in concert with individuals working at the 112 Emergency Call Center in Istanbul to refer newborn emergency patients to the neonatal units of private hospitals with which they had prior agreements, causing the infants' deaths and obtaining illicit gains.

The Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate received a tip-off regarding the incident via CİMER on March 27, 2023.

Following the referral of the tip-off to the Anti-Financial Crimes Branch on May 21, 2023, an investigation was launched by the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

As part of these efforts, on September 28, 2023, the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate requested the establishment of a "Neonatal Intensive Care Audit and Evaluation Commission" to examine, evaluate, and reach decisions on information and documents (minutes, epicrises, observation forms, analyses, examinations, patient files, etc.) obtained during routine/extraordinary neonatal intensive care audits conducted at all public, private, and foundation university health facilities across the province, and to prepare individual or joint reports.

Also within the scope of the investigation, the identities and addresses of the suspects were determined, and the statements of victims and witnesses were taken. Action was taken after concrete evidence was collected in the investigation, for which documents and information were also requested from relevant institutions.

On April 26, 2024, simultaneous operations were carried out in Istanbul and Tekirdağ to apprehend the identified suspects. A total of 47 people were detained during the operations, 22 of whom were arrested, and witness and victim statements were taken.

In May, the operations of Medilife Health Services Hospital, one of the private hospitals in question, were suspended.

On August 23, an expert opinion report prepared by the Ministry of Health Inspectorate stated that 90 percent of the newborn babies left in the care of nurses in practice were deprived of their right to life.

On August 30, Aylin Arslantatar, the lawyer for the detained suspects, called Y.E., the Prosecutor for Terror and Organized Crime Investigation at the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, who was conducting the investigation, and later went to his office to claim that an assassination was being planned against him and that harm would come to his father and mother.

Prosecutor Y.E. subsequently filed a report with the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, where he serves, and an investigation was launched. Later, upon the request of lawyer Aylin Arslantatar and Mustafa Kemal Zengin to meet with the prosecutor, a recording device was placed in the office with court permission, and the meeting was recorded.

During the investigation process, the operations of Bağcılar Private Şafak Hospital were suspended in September.

On October 9, Prosecutor Y.E. completed his investigation and prepared the summary of proceedings (fezleke).

The summary included the treatment and care methods that should have been applied to the babies but were not, emphasizing that passive euthanasia (active and passive euthanasia are not practiced in Turkey; every newborn with a detectable heartbeat has the right to receive appropriate resuscitation and treatment) was applied to patients and that 90 percent of the newborn babies were deprived of their right to life.

On October 11, an operation was carried out to apprehend the identified suspects in the investigation regarding the threats against Prosecutor Y.E., and the suspects were detained.

On October 14, 4 of the suspects whose procedures were completed at the police station were released, while 8 suspects, including 2 lawyers, were referred to the Büyükçekmece Courthouse. The on-duty Criminal Court of Peace decided to arrest 5 of the 8 suspects and imposed judicial control measures on 3.

On October 16, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, to which the summary of proceedings was sent, prepared the indictment.

In the indictment, 10 deceased babies were listed as "victims", 5 people as "complainants", the Social Security Institution (SGK) Istanbul Provincial Directorate as "party harmed by the crime", 19 hospitals and health companies as "financially liable", and 47 people as "suspects".

The indictment stated that the criminal organization, led by doctor suspect Fırat Sarı, was managed and directed by doctor suspect İlker Gönen and 112 Emergency Call Center ambulance driver Gıyasettin Mert Özdemir. It was reported that the main purpose of the criminal organization was to ensure the occupancy of the neonatal intensive care units whose operations they had taken over by bypassing the 112 referral system and to receive payments from the SGK at the maximum rate by manipulating the patients' severity levels.

It was stated that the criminal organization led by suspect Fırat Sarı rented and took over the operations of the neonatal intensive care units of the private Avcılar Hospital owned by Akabe Sağlık Tesisleri AŞ, Private Avrupa Şafak Hospital and Private İstanbul Şafak Hospital owned by Private İstanbul Şafak Health Services AŞ, Private Bağcılar Medilife Hospital and Private Beylikdüzü Medilife Hospital affiliated with Medilife Health Services and Yonca Health Services, Private Bağcılar Şafak Hospital affiliated with Refik Arslan AŞ, Private Birinci Hospital owned by Beymed AŞ, Private Doğa Hospital owned by Doğamed AŞ, Private Reyap İstanbul Hospital and Çorlu Reyap Hospital owned by Reyap AŞ, Private TRG Hospitalist Hospital, Esenler Güney Hospital, and Silivri Kolan Hospital owned by Ekip Sağlık AŞ, and that nurses, rather than doctors, provided health services in all of these hospitals.

The indictment requested that suspects Fırat Sarı and İlker Gönen be sentenced to a total of 177 years and 6 months to 582 years and 9 months in prison each for the crimes of "causing death by negligent conduct" (10 counts), "qualified fraud", "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime", and "forgery of official documents" (11 counts).

The indictment requested that suspects Fırat Sarı and İlker Gönen be sentenced to a total of 177 years and 6 months to 582 years and 9 months in prison each for the crimes of "causing death by negligent conduct" (10 counts), "qualified fraud", "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime", and "forgery of official documents" (11 counts).

Prison sentences ranging from 10 to 437 years and 6 months were also requested for 18 other suspects, including doctors, nurses, and health personnel, for the crime of "causing death by negligent conduct" regarding the deaths of the babies.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the threats against Prosecutor Y.E. is ongoing.