New development in the Kaşif Kozinoğlu investigation: Selahattin Günday and two healthcare workers arrested

New arrest warrants have been issued in the investigation reopened 15 years later into the death of former MİT officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu in Silivri Prison. Journalist Selahattin Günday and two emergency medical technicians were arrested as part of the investigation.

Nine suspects, including one journalist, one cameraman, and seven healthcare workers, were referred to the Silivri Courthouse after their procedures at the gendarmerie were completed. The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent Günday to the criminal judgeship of peace with a request for arrest on charges of "disclosing information and documents related to intelligence activities" and "unlawfully obtaining or disseminating personal data," and the two emergency medical technicians on charges of "intentional killing."

The criminal judgeship of peace decided to arrest Selahattin Günday and the two emergency medical technicians. Six suspects, including cameraman İdris Tiftikçi, were released under judicial control conditions.

INVESTIGATION FILE HAD BEEN REOPENED

Kaşif Kozinoğlu died of a heart attack in Silivri Prison on November 12, 2011, about eight months after being arrested as part of the Odatv investigation. The initial investigation conducted by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into Kozinoğlu's death concluded with a decision of non-prosecution in 2012.

The non-prosecution decision in the file was lifted on August 26, 2026, and the investigation was reopened. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek had announced that judicial proceedings were initiated against 11 suspects who were working at the penal institution at the time of the incident, that 10 suspects were taken into custody, and that one suspect was determined to be abroad as a "FETÖ fugitive."

In the reopened file, one of the 10 suspects previously detained and referred to the courthouse had been arrested, while nine people were released. In the final stage, detention procedures were carried out for nine people, including journalist Günday, cameraman Tiftikçi, and two emergency medical technicians.

Kozinoğlu's grave in Ümraniye was also opened to determine the exact cause of death and whether there was any third-party intervention. It was reported that samples taken from the grave were sent to the Council of Forensic Medicine for examination.

Günday's lawyer, Hüseyin Ersöz, stated in a post on his social media account following the arrest decision that his client was arrested on the allegation of reporting on footage taken while Kozinoğlu was being taken to the Beşiktaş Courthouse in 2011.

We experienced a legal absurdity tonight. Journalist Selahattin Günday was arrested under Article 27 of the MİT Law, which was 'not in effect in 2011,' on the allegation that he reported on footage of Kaşif Kozinoğlu entering the Beşiktaş Courthouse in 2011.

Ersöz argued that the relevant regulation in the MİT Law was amended in 2014, and claimed that a later regulation was cited as the basis for an act allegedly committed in 2011. Stating that the footage in question was recorded by many members of the press at that time, Ersöz announced that they would appeal the arrest decision.