Eylem Tok, captured in the US, appears in court

Eylem Tok, the mother of 17-year-old Timur Cihantimur, who caused the death of Oğuz Murat Aci in Istanbul on March 1 while driving without a license, has appeared in court once again in the US, where they had fled.

Tok was brought to the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston in an orange prison jumpsuit for the hearing regarding her extradition to Turkey. Tok's lawyer, Brendan Kelly, requested that the case be dismissed and that Tok be tried without detention.

Following the statements from Tok's lawyer and the prosecutor, the judge decided that Tok would remain in custody and that the next hearing would be held on June 27.

While Tok is expected to attend the next hearing with a different lawyer, her current lawyer, Kelly, left the courthouse quickly after the hearing without answering questions.

CIHANTIMUR WILL BE TRIED SEPARATELY AS HE IS A US CITIZEN

Cihantimur, who is not being tried in the same hearing as his mother, will have his extradition request to Turkey addressed in a separate hearing at 20:30 Turkish time, on the grounds that he is a US citizen.

ACI'S FAMILY MEMBERS WERE IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE

Aci's family members attended the hearing and made statements to the press afterward. Some of Aci's family members held up banners reading "Justice for Oğuz Murat Aci." Lütfiye Çiçek, a cousin of Oğuz Murat Aci's father Özer Aci, stated that they were anxious as it was the first hearing of the case and noted that the hearing had been adjourned. Çiçek said, "I have infinite trust in the US justice system. I truly believe they will make the right decision."

"SHE IS CAUSING GREAT HARM"

Addressing Eylem Tok, Çiçek said, "Actually, there were a few things we wanted to say to her, but unfortunately, we didn't. She is not only doing a great wrong to our cousin's child but is also causing great harm to her own child."

Because by whisking her child away from place to place like this, she is not doing him any favors at all.

If she had stayed with the family in Turkey before all this happened and had turned her child in, she wouldn't be facing these troubles now," she said.

"WHAT KIND OF MOTHERHOOD IS THIS"

Stating that Eylem Tok defends herself by claiming to be a mother, Çiçek said, "I only say this to her: she says she is a mother. What kind of motherhood is this? A mother has been left without a child, and a child has been left without a father. Is this the justice of motherhood? I am truly very curious about this."

"THAT IS WHY THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IT TODAY"

Expressing that Aci's mother, Pervin Aci, was very curious about Eylem Tok's facial expression, Çiçek said, "She was very curious about Eylem Tok's face. The smiling face in the photos taken in New York had left such a deep wound in her."

Stating, 'But today, Pervin, rest assured, that is why there was no trace of them. Because the entire courtroom was there just for you. There was no one there to support them,' she explained that there was only fear on Eylem Tok's face.

Calling on Eylem Tok to reflect and make a decision before the next hearing, Çiçek said, 'I hope she thinks during the time until the next court date, makes the truly right decision, and saves her child from this hardship.'

"HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE MOTHER OF A KILLER?"

Esat Gök, founder of the Turks in Boston Association, said, 'This is the first day that justice begins. Of course, we do not expect it to end with the first hearing. It will certainly drag on, but the judge's attitude inside gave us the feeling and conviction that the matter we are seeing will be in our favor. At the end of the court session, I asked Ms. Eylem something. I asked, "How does it feel to be the mother of a killer?" She just said, "Allahu Akbar." She didn't say anything else. I mean, she may have approached it with a bit of a mocking attitude there, but we are absolutely certain that she will pay heavily for this mocking attitude during this process.'

"WE ARE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE"

Stating that Eylem Tok was very uneasy and tense during the hearing, Gök said, 'She was quite disturbed by the effect of the crowd looking at her with hatred. I am of the opinion that the fear inside her is currently multiplying. But we are one hundred percent sure that she and her son are not sleeping soundly.'

Meanwhile, Cihantimur is sought for extradition to Turkey for 'causing death and injury by negligence,' and his 44-year-old mother, Eylem Tok, for 'harboring a criminal.'

News Source: İHA