New ruling from the Court of Cassation in the Leyla Aydemir case: Investigation launched into AFAD teams as well

A critical development has occurred in the case of Leyla Aydemir, who went missing in the village of Bezirhane in Ağrı on June 15, 2018, and was found dead 18 days later. The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation has overturned the acquittal decisions issued by the Ağrı 1st High Criminal Court for 7 defendants. Among the defendants is Leyla's uncle, Yusuf Aydemir.

FIRST HEARING DATE SET

Erdoğan Tunç, the lawyer for the case, announced that the first hearing of the retrial will be held on January 16, 2026, at the Ağrı 1st High Criminal Court. Tunç stated, "If the recordings are included in the file, it may be possible for the defendants to receive sentences."

SENT FOR CRIMINAL ANALYSIS

Tunç stated that the audio recordings entered into the case file have been sent for criminal analysis, noting that once the authenticity of the recordings is confirmed, voice comparisons will be conducted with the defendants. He also emphasized that sample voice recordings from the AFAD teams will be taken and included in the examination.

SEPARATE INVESTIGATION INTO AFAD TEAMS

Lawyer Tunç stated that, in addition to the process conducted by the court, he has filed a separate criminal complaint. In this context, an investigation has been opened into the AFAD teams over allegations of "tampering with the file" and "bribery."

Tunç said, "There are suspicions that there may be a close relationship or a bribery connection between the AFAD teams and family members. No concrete connection has been established, but there are indications that an attempt was made to tamper with the file. The possibility that money was paid is being investigated."

News Source: 12punto