A new development has occurred in two murder cases in Kırşehir and Samsun that had remained unsolved for years.
Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that, as a result of the work carried out by the Department of Investigation of Unsolved Crimes in coordination with the offices of the public prosecutor and provincial gendarmerie commands, a total of 4 suspects have been arrested in two separate cases.
The file regarding Rıza Güzel, who was reported missing by his family on February 5, 2006, in the Akpınar district of Kırşehir, was re-examined. It was stated that as a result of technical work on family members' statements, witness accounts, HTS records, and communication data, the incident was evaluated as intentional homicide.
As part of the investigation, simultaneous operations were carried out at 6 addresses in three provinces. 7 suspects were detained during the operations. With the suspects showing the location, bone fragments believed to belong to Rıza Güzel were found. Of the suspects referred to the courthouse, 2 were arrested, and a judicial control decision was issued for 1 person.
The murder of Arif Yılmaz, who was killed by a firearm on June 1, 2013, in the Çarşamba district of Samsun, was also re-examined. Communication data of 28 people, including those for whom non-prosecution decisions had previously been issued, were re-compared.
Following new witness statements and examinations of digital materials, 2 suspects believed to be connected to the murder were apprehended. The suspects were arrested by the court they were brought before and sent to prison.
It was reported that with the latest operations, the number of files solved by the Department of Investigation of Unsolved Crimes to date has reached 60. It was noted that these files cover judicial processes concerning 67 victims and 7 injured individuals.
Gürlek's statement is as follows:
WE HAVE SOLVED TWO MORE COLD CASE MURDERS FROM 20 AND 13 YEARS AGO: WE HAVE REMOVED 67 MURDERS FROM THE LIST OF UNSOLVED CRIMES ACROSS 60 FILES!
Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we are working with determination to ensure that no cold case file remains in the dark, that no crime goes unpunished, and that the expectations of justice for victims and their families are met in the fight against crime and criminals.
Under the coordination of our Department of Investigation of Unsolved Crimes, and with the work of our public prosecutor's offices and law enforcement units, we have solved two more cold case murders. Thus, we have brought clarity to 60 files concerning 67 victims and 7 injured individuals to date:
KIRŞEHİR / AKPINAR | RIZA GÜZEL – 20-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE: The file of Rıza Güzel, who was reported missing by his family on February 5, 2006, was re-examined. By evaluating witness statements, contradictory statements from family members, communication records, and technical examinations together, evidence was reached indicating that the incident carried the suspicion of intentional homicide.
7 suspects were detained in operations carried out at 6 addresses in three provinces. As a result of the suspects' statements and location indications, bone fragments believed to belong to Rıza Güzel were found. As a result of the judicial investigation, 2 of the suspects were arrested, and a judicial control decision was issued for 1.
SAMSUN / ÇARŞAMBA | Arif Yılmaz – 13-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE: The file of Arif Yılmaz, who was killed by a firearm in the Çarşamba district of Samsun on June 1, 2013, was re-examined. Utilizing developing technological capabilities, existing evidence, witness statements, and HTS records were re-analyzed.
Communication data of 28 people, including those for whom it was previously decided that there was no ground for prosecution, were re-compared. As a result of technical analyses and new witness statements, 2 suspects believed to be connected to the incident were apprehended, detained, and arrested.
I would like to thank our Çarşamba and Kırşehir Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices, our Samsun and Kırşehir Provincial Gendarmerie Commands, and all public officials who contributed, who worked with great devotion in solving these files.
We will not give up on pursuing the trail of justice, shedding light on questions that have remained unanswered for years, and working to ensure that those responsible are held accountable before the law.
News Source: 12punto
