Prosecutor's opinion announced in the trial regarding the murder of university student and delivery rider Ata Emre Akman

The murdered youth's father, retired colonel Erol Akman, and mother Zuhal Akman, who live in Istanbul, along with their lawyers and a large group of supporters, including fellow delivery riders, gathered in front of the Balıkesir Courthouse.

Before the first hearing of the case at the Balıkesir 1st High Criminal Court, where the detained defendants E.Ö. will be tried for "premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment" and his father Orhan Ö. for "inciting premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment," the Akman family's lawyer, Özden Başak, made a statement to the press.

Stating that the victim's family had not watched the security camera footage of the incident, Başak said, "We request that you do not show the moment of the incident when reporting. We ask for your sensitivity on this matter."

Addressing the debates regarding E.Ö.'s age, Başak explained that, considering the manner in which the crime was committed, the ability to plan the act, and witness testimonies, they maintain their claim that he is over 18 years old.

Stating that the prosecution left the issue of age determination to the court during the preparation phase to ensure the indictment was written as soon as possible, Başak said:

"No one believes that the killer is under 18 based on his appearance. Therefore, we believe he should not benefit from the age-based sentence reduction in the Turkish Penal Code. Apart from this, perpetrators who commit such acts usually want to claim unjust provocation. It is a situation we always encounter. There is no such situation here.

When you examine the footage carefully, our child has no involvement in the incident. There is an individual moving directly toward him from behind the car with the intent to kill. From the very first second, he grabs our child's neck with his left hand, and a second or two later, he begins the execution of the act.

His father, who raised him like a bullet, is also being tried for incitement. We believe this case will be a milestone and that a historic opportunity has come before the honorable court in such heart-wrenching cases. I hope this trial will result in a decision that eases all of our consciences."

Mesut Çeki, President of the Courier Rights Association, also stated that they came to Balıkesir to support Ata Emre Akman's family and their quest for justice.

Noting that they share the family's pain deeply, Çeki said, "Ata Emre was murdered while delivering an order on a dark street. The family could not bear to watch that footage, and neither could we."Stating that at least 58 delivery riders lost their lives in various incidents in 2022, at least 68 last year, and 30 in the first 6 months of this year, Çeki demanded improvements in the rights of members of the profession.

After the parties were admitted to the courtroom, the trial of the detained defendants E.Ö. and his father Orhan Ö. began.

Presenting his defense, the suspect E.Ö. stated that he was raised by his grandmother. Defendant E.Ö. claimed that disputes began in 2013 due to the theft of checks belonging to Sultan D., with whom his father previously lived.

Noting that there was a complaint against him for allegedly throwing stones at Sultan D.'s house, E.Ö. said, "However, I did not commit such an act. The statements that I insulted Sultan under my father's direction are untrue. I did not have any private conversation or meeting with my father regarding Sultan."

Stating that on the day of the incident, he went to the Edremit Gulf and then to some restaurants with his father and his friends, E.Ö. explained that he drank about 20 beers throughout the day.

"WHY ARE YOU BEING CONFRONTATIONAL WITH ME?"

Stating that they returned home with his father around 23:30 that night, that his father passed out, and that he was smoking on the balcony, E.Ö. continued his words as follows:

"I saw the message sent by Sultan's daughter, Hazel. I remembered that Sultan was constantly insulting my father and me and bothering us. I always carry a knife. Upon this, I took the knife that was on the table and went out. I also picked up a stone on the way. Under the influence of alcohol, I dropped some of it and left the rest. Later, I saw a young person entering the building. On his way out, I asked this person why he came to Sultan's house. He said to me, 'Don't you see I'm selling tissues by motorcycle?' When I asked, 'Did you come for Sultan D.?', he said, 'I came for Ebru Gündeş, for Ebru Yaşar.' I said, 'Why are you being confrontational with me?' I don't remember the parts after this stage. I remember swinging the knife once. Later, I saw the blood on my hands. I threw the knife away while leaving."

Upon the presiding judge stating that he had swung the knife at the victim 25 times and that 15 of them hit, E.Ö. replied, "Even though I swung the knife 25 times, I don't remember what drove me to that feeling that day."

E.Ö. stated that he had been using alcohol since he was 12 years old, adding that his father had not directed him toward Sultan D. or the people coming to her house before the incident.

"SULTAN WAS OBSESSED WITH ME"

Defendant Orhan Ö. stated that he lived with Sultan D. in a religious marriage for a while, that they had a child, and that they separated.

Stating that he separated from Sultan D. and that she married someone else, Orhan Ö. said, "I thought I was rid of her, but she became obsessed with us. There are long-standing frictions between us, and because of this, there are multiple files."

Noting that he was asleep when they returned home that night, Orhan Ö. said, "Later, the police came. I met her at the police station. I asked, 'Why did you harm the man?' I said, 'You burned both yourself and me.'"

The victim's mother, Zuhal Akman, stated that her son was studying in Balıkesir and that she learned about the incident later. Akman said, "I found out later that he started working as a courier. I am complaining about the defendants who brutally murdered my child."

Father Erol Akman reacted to the defendants because his son Ata Emre's name was not mentioned in the statements, and demanded that they be punished in the most severe way.

The hearing, which continued with the questioning of Sultan D. and other witnesses, was adjourned.

OPINION ANNOUNCED IN MURDER CASE

In the first hearing of the case where 17-year-old E.Ö., who stabbed and killed university student and delivery rider Ata Emre Akman in Balıkesir, and his father, who is alleged to have incited him, are being tried in custody, the opinion on the merits was announced.

The hearing at the Balıkesir 1st High Criminal Court was attended by defendant E.Ö. via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS) from the prison where he is being held, his father, detained defendant Orhan Ö., the victim Ata Emre Akman's father, retired Colonel Erol Akman, his mother Zuhal Akman, and the lawyers of the parties.

After the court panel took a break, the hearing continued with the questioning of witnesses.

Witness Sultan D., who lived with defendant Orhan Ö. in a religious marriage until 2013, alleged that this person tried to harm her.

Stating that she took care of E.Ö., who killed Ata Emre Akman, for a while when he was a child, Sultan D. claimed that E.Ö.'s age might be older than 17.

Witness Pınar A. also alleged that while she was in the same environment as Orhan Ö., he said he would carry out an incident in front of the house of Sultan D., with whom he had previously lived, and that all of Balıkesir would hear about it.

Witness Betül K., who is Sultan D.'s upstairs neighbor and to whom Ata Emre Akman delivered the pizza order, explained that they heard a cry for "help" after a while.

Kaplan, who stated that when she looked out the window she saw Akman had fallen onto his motorcycle, said, "After notifying the ambulance, we went downstairs. My sister, who is a healthcare professional, tried to intervene, but his pulse had stopped before the ambulance arrived."

In the hearing, many people, including the relatives and friends of the defendants, also testified as witnesses.

THOSE IN THE HALL CRIED

In his opinion on the merits, the public prosecutor requested that defendant E.Ö. be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment," applying the "age minority" article, and up to 1 year in prison for the crime of "unauthorized possession or carrying of weapons, knives, or ammunition."

The prosecutor requested that father Orhan Ö. be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "inciting premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment," and that both defendants be given sentences from the upper limit rather than the lower limit.

Given the floor again, E.Ö. denied the allegation that he committed the murder with premeditation, stating, "I committed such an act with the alcohol I consumed and my ignorance. There is no such thing as my father inciting me."

Orhan Ö. also stated that he had never used another person in any incident he had carried out to date, and defended himself by saying, "When I learned about the incident, my family and I cried. If I were going to do it, I would have given the child a weapon and said 'Go kill.' I have no connection to this incident."

While the statements of Ata Emre Akman's mother and father were being taken, those present in the hall to support them could not hold back their tears.

Mother Zuhal Akman stated that she did not accept the execution laws being this way, saying, "I think we can draw conclusions from this specific file. I want the person called a 'child dragged into crime' to be tried and punished as an adult."

The court panel, which rejected the request of the Akman family's lawyers to determine E.Ö.'s bone age at the time of the incident due to the existence of a birth certificate, decided to give the defense lawyers time to prepare their defense against the opinion on the merits, to continue the detention of the defendants, and adjourned the hearing to July 12.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Balıkesir University Tourism Faculty Tourism Guidance Department student 20-year-old Ata Emre Akman had gone to Emir Street in the Karaoğlan neighborhood of Karesi district on May 11 to deliver a pizza ordered from the company where he had started working as a delivery rider 5 days earlier.

E.Ö., who approached Akman as he was walking toward his motorcycle parked on the street after delivering the pizza, attacked the university student with a knife. Akman lost his life at the scene, and E.Ö., who fled, was arrested by the judgeship after being caught by the police.

In the indictment prepared by the Balıkesir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that the murder suspect E.Ö. be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment." Due to the defendant being under 18 years of age, it was requested that the article "For persons who have completed the age of 15 but have not completed the age of 18 at the time of committing the act, if the crime requires an aggravated life sentence, a prison sentence of 14 to 20 years shall be imposed, and if it requires a life sentence, a prison sentence of 9 to 12 years shall be imposed" be applied.

In the indictment, it was requested that Orhan Ö. be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "inciting premeditated murder with monstrous feeling or by causing torment" and that his sentence be increased due to the state of inciting a crime by using the influence arising from the relationship of descent.

News Source: AA