Conviction verdict announced: 3 defendants found guilty on 17 charges in Halil Falyalı murder case

In the case of the murder of Halil Falyalı, who lost his life in an armed attack in the Çatalköy region of Kyrenia in 2022, defendants Ömer Tunç, Veysel Sare, and Musa Çiçek have been convicted on 17 charges in court. The Kyrenia Assize Court announced that the defendants could face life imprisonment.

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Conviction verdict announced: 3 defendants found guilty on 17 charges in Halil Falyalı murder case

Kyrenia's Çatalköy region, on February 8, 2022, in an armed attack that also claimed the life of his driver Murat Demirtaş, the conviction verdict for the murder of Halil Falyalı was announced today.

The defendants Ömer Tunç, Veysel Sare, and Musa Çiçek, who were tried at the Kyrenia Assize Court, were found guilty on 17 charges, primarily premeditated murder.

The high criminal court panel, consisting of Kyrenia Assize Court President Banu Soyer, Senior Judge Mine Ozankaya, and Judge Temay Sağer, emphasized that the defendants acted in an organized manner and carried out the armed attack with premeditation.

The panel noted that premeditated murder is one of the most serious crimes in the penal code, which carries a life sentence, and announced that they had found the defendants guilty of the charges they were tried for and convicted them.

The panel stated that it would announce the length of the prison sentences for the defendants tomorrow.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Halil Falyalı, who was subjected to an armed attack while in his car in the Çatalköy area of the Kyrenia region on February 8, 2022, was taken to the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital in Nicosia as a seriously injured patient.

Falyalı could not be saved after being transferred to the Near East University (NEU) Hospital, and his driver Murat Demirtaş also lost his life at the scene. During searches conducted on February 14, 2022, regarding the murder, two Kalashnikovs, 4 magazines belonging to these weapons, 39 bullets, a 9 mm caliber pistol, a magazine for the pistol, and 13 bullets were found discarded in a creek bed approximately one kilometer west of the crime scene.

Ballistic examinations confirmed that these weapons were used in the incident. While Veysel Sare, Musa Çiçek, and Ömer Tunç were captured in the TRNC leg of the investigation, 8 suspects, including Mustafa Söylemez, who was caught in operations held in Turkey on February 9, 12, and 13, were taken into custody.

Veysel Sare, Musa Çiçek, and Ömer Tunç were sent to prison on March 4, 2022, to stand trial. The verdict regarding the defendants detained in Turkey was announced on January 19, 2024.

The Istanbul 36th Assize Court panel sentenced defendant Mustafa Söylemez to 2 life sentences for the crime of 'premeditated intentional killing'. The court sentenced the other defendants, Abdurrahim Çelik, Cengiz Şener, and Ender Yıldız, to 12 years and 6 months each for 'aiding in premeditated killing', totaling 25 years each.

Defendant Mehmet Faysal Söylemez was acquitted and ordered to be released as it was not proven that the crimes of "Premeditated double murder" and "Establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime" were committed by the defendant.

The court also acquitted all defendants of the charges of "Membership in an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime", while defendant Metin Süs was acquitted of all charges brought against him. The court panel ruled that the case against defendant Cemil Önal regarding 2 counts of "Premeditated murder" and "Membership in an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime" should be separated.

News Source: İHA