Verdict announced for Tarkan's cousin tried for murder

The verdict has been announced in the trial of 6 defendants, including Tarkan's cousin Servet Tevetoğlu, regarding the murder of Ercan Gönülkırmaz, who was shot with a firearm and burned to death at his workplace in Esenyurt on January 17, 2017.
In the hearing held at the Bakırköy 6th High Criminal Court, the detained defendant Servet Tevetoğlu was present via the SEGBİS system. Complainants Yüksel Çelik, Hava Gönülkırmaz, and the lawyers for the parties also attended the hearing.

During the hearing, the court stated that the red notice for the defendant Turgay Tokur had not been executed.

Given the floor during the hearing, complainant Yüksel Çelik said, "I want the defendants to receive the heaviest sentence." The victim's mother, Hava Gönülkırmaz, stated, "It has been 7 years and the killers have not been caught. I want them to receive the heaviest sentence."

When asked for his final statement, defendant Servet Tevetoğlu said he requested his acquittal.
Announcing its verdict, the court decided to separate the file of the fugitive defendant Turgay Tokur due to the fact that the red notice and arrest warrant issued for him have not been executed to date. The court sentenced the defendants Servet Tevetoğlu, Akın Özagin, Arif Rasim Topçu, Nihat Budak, and Murat Budak to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of 'premeditated murder'.

In the verdict, it was also ordered that arrest warrants be issued for Akın Özagin, Arif Rasim Topçu, Nihat Budak, and Murat Budak, who were being tried without detention. On the other hand, the defendants were sentenced to two years in prison each for the crime of 'damaging property'.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had described the incident that took place in Esenyurt on January 17, 2017, in the indictment it prepared. The indictment stated that armed individuals went to a delicatessen owned by Yüksel Çelik around 02:00 on the night of the incident, fired at the victim Ercan Gönülkırmaz, and poured flammable material they had brought with them into the workplace, setting it on fire.

The indictment stated that Ercan Gönülkırmaz lost his life and the workplace became unusable due to the fire, and that the defendants Servet Tevetoğlu, Akın Özagin, Arif Rasim Topçu, and Turgay Tokur went to the scene in 2 cars, one of the defendants fired at the victim, and Servet Tevetoğlu set the workplace on fire before they fled by vehicle.

For Servet Tevetoğlu, Akın Özagin, Arif Rasim Topçu, Murat Budak, Nihat Budak, and Turgay Tokur, aggravated life imprisonment and up to 9 years in prison had been requested for the crimes of 'murder with blood feud motive', 'damaging property', and 'carrying an unlicensed firearm'.

Servet Tevetoğlu had been released with a 250 thousand TL bail and judicial control conditions after spending 2 years in prison due to this incident. Tevetoğlu had escaped from an open prison without paying his bail. Tevetoğlu was later caught in Edirne.

News Source: İHA