Testimonies of 'Newborn Gang' members seeking effective remorse emerge: 'The baby started turning purple day by day'

Nurse Hakan Doğukan Taşcı, one of the suspects who recounted the horrific details, stated that he wrote epicrisis reports instead of doctors and sold medication illegally, saying, "I am remorseful." Another suspect, nurse Hasan Basri Gök, explained that a baby brought to the hospital was sedated with heavy narcotics, and although the baby was intervened upon, it began to turn blue day by day due to a heart anomaly, yet the baby was kept in the hospital through the administration of these drugs.

The investigation into the gang, which generated illicit profits by referring babies to contracted hospitals in Istanbul and caused their deaths through negligence, had been completed and a summary of proceedings (fezleke) was prepared. The summary was sent to the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for evaluation. The indictment was prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and sent to the Bakırköy 22nd High Criminal Court.

While the court's review process of the indictment continues, the testimonies of those with information who wish to benefit from effective remorse have emerged.

"I SUBMITTED MY RESIGNATION"

Sema U., who gave a statement as a person with knowledge, said, "I was working as the head nurse of the intensive care unit at Bağcılar TRG Hospitalist Hospital. The hospital manager at that time was Murat Mantuş. During the period when Murat Mantuş was working as manager, Dr. Fırat Sarı and his team were at the hospital, but I do not know if he had official responsibility at the hospital. I worked in the intensive care unit at this hospital for about 2 weeks during this period. During the time I worked there, I was uncomfortable with the fact that patients were kept in the hospital for much longer than their discharge times, so I submitted my resignation. During this period, Fırat Sarı told me that he would pay extra fees to intensive care supervisors and conveyed this offer to me as well, but I did not accept it and submitted my resignation."

"THE SUSPECT WHO SAID 'LET IT DIE OR WHATEVER, I DON'T CARE': 'I SAID IT IN THE TENSION OF THAT MOMENT'"

When asked about the sentence she used in a phone conversation regarding a patient, "This one is becoming an 80, 82, then it becomes 98, I've given up, let it die or whatever, I don't care," suspect Çağla Durmuş said, "I said it in the tension of that moment. We did everything that needed to be done for the patient. Doctors decide on the procedures to be performed or not, and nurses carry them out."

SUSPECT NURSE: 'I WROTE EPICRISIS REPORTS INSTEAD OF DOCTORS, I AM REMORSEFUL'

Suspect Hakan Doğukan Taşcı, stating that he is a high school graduate nurse, requested to benefit from effective remorse provisions. Taşcı said, "I know Fırat Sarı from the time I worked at Reyap Hospital. He is the hospital's pediatrician. Fırat Sarı is the person who dragged me into these illicit activities. Although he is supposed to have a doctor present at the hospital, he leaves me in his place instead of a doctor. I had to speak with a person named Gıyasettin Mert Özdemir several times over the phone and in person. I reported this person to CİMER (Presidential Communication Center). The reason I reported him is because he is involved in baby trafficking. This person works as an ambulance driver for 112 Emergency Services. He does business with many private hospitals. He generally makes deals with chief physicians and hospital managers to bring in newborn babies from outside to be admitted to these hospitals, and he profits from this. In these transactions, he refers babies to hospitals, endangering their lives just to make money, without checking whether the hospital is suitable for these newborns. During my time at Birinci Hospital, I wrote epicrisis reports in place of a doctor named Şeyhmus Çelik. I made adjustments. Doctor Şeyhmus Çelik and Fırat Sarı are aware that I performed these actions. Fırat Sarı told me to write these reports. Although there should be a doctor on duty at night, there isn't one. They dump this responsibility on nurses like me. Together with Hasan Basri, we generated income by illegally selling a drug called Curusorf. I regret all the actions I have taken. For this reason, I want to benefit from effective remorse provisions."

"I REGRET ALL THE IRREGULARITIES"

Suspect nurse Hasan Basri Gök also stated that he wanted to benefit from effective remorse provisions and described the chain of scandals. Gök said, "They generated illicit income by manipulating the severity levels of the baby patients admitted to intensive care and by issuing inflated invoices to the Social Security Institution (SGK). Fırat Sarı would change the blood gas parameters using a program he wrote in Excel, having them printed as he wished and invoicing them to the SGK. It is true that the epicrisis reports were changed and re-edited by me and other employees in line with Fırat Sarı's instructions. I regret all the irregularities I have committed."

"THE BABY STARTED TURNING BLUE DAY BY DAY"

Describing what he knew about the death of a baby, Gök said, "A baby came to the hospital. The baby's condition was not bad when it arrived, but on the 2nd or 3rd day of admission, its condition began to deteriorate, and it started experiencing heart anomaly issues. Because Fırat Sarı referred the baby to Birinci International Hospital, which had poor conditions and where no treatment could be provided for the baby's heart condition, no surgical procedure could be performed on the baby at the hospital. The person responsible for the baby at the hospital was Hakan Doğukan Taşcı. In fact, Doğukan, who met with the baby's family, introduced himself as a doctor and was intervening in the baby's care with the title of doctor. The only medication that could be administered to the baby was a heart medication. Hakan Doğukan was giving this medication. At one point, he stopped the medication. He sedated the baby with a heavy narcotic drug. Afterwards, despite interventions, the baby started turning blue day by day because of the heart anomaly, but Hakan Doğukan Taşcı kept the baby alive for approximately 1.5 months with the drugs he administered."

THE SUSPECT WHO TOLD A NURSE TO 'KILL HIM': THESE ARE SENTENCES I UTTERED UNDER STRESS

Regarding the conversation with Hakan Doğukan Taşcı containing the phrase "kill him," Hasan Basri Gök testified, "Since I knew the baby was in bad condition, I told Hakan Doğukan that the baby would not live much longer, that keeping the baby alive by force by constantly giving it medication did not make sense, and that the baby would pass away in these hospital conditions. I am very sorry for the sentences I used, but these sentences were uttered under stress in the hospital environment. I did not utter the sentence with malicious intent."

"I TAMPERED WITH EPICRISIS REPORTS AND COMMITTED IRREGULARITIES"

In the continuation of his testimony, Hasan Basri Gök stated, 'I tampered with epicrisis reports and patient classification levels under the instructions of Fırat Sarı. I committed irregularities by changing these. However, apart from these, I was absolutely never involved in any negligent or intentional act regarding the death of any baby. Together with the individual named Hakan Doğukan Taşcı, we removed medication from the hospital and sold it under the instructions of Fırat Sarı, and we gave the money from this to Fırat Sarı. In January 2024, I could no longer bear these irregularities, so I left this person's side and cut all my ties.'