Verdict in Metin Gürcan espionage case: Sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison

Former soldier and academic Metin Gürcan, one of the founding members of the DEVA Party, has been sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison for obtaining classified documents. Gürcan was being tried on charges of espionage for foreign mission representatives.

RE-ARRESTED

The investigation into Gürcan was initiated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that Gürcan had provided classified military documents to foreign mission representatives. Gürcan, who was arrested in 2021, began to be tried without arrest under judicial control conditions in 2022.

Following the announcement of the verdict in the case against him, Gürcan was re-arrested.

WHERE IS METİN GÜRCAN FROM AND HOW OLD IS HE?

Metin Gürcan was born in 1976 in the Bozüyük district of Bilecik. As of 2025, he is 49 years old. Starting his education in the military field, Gürcan graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1998 with honors as a Systems Engineer Infantry Lieutenant.

MILITARY CAREER AND OVERSEAS DUTIES

Between 1998 and 2014, he served in various units of the Turkish Armed Forces. For approximately 8 years, he participated in operational, liaison, and training activities in regions such as Southeastern Anatolia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. He particularly drew attention with the duties he undertook within the Special Forces. He retired at his own request in January 2015 and focused on his academic career.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Gürcan, who completed his master's degree at the US Naval Postgraduate School between 2008 and 2010, received a master's degree in Security Studies there with his thesis on the relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Central Government in Baghdad.

Later, he completed his doctoral thesis on the institutional transformation of the Turkish Armed Forces at the Bilkent University Department of Political Science in 2016. This thesis was published as a book in 2018 under the title “Opening the Black Box: Turkish Military Before and After July 15”.

Metin Gürcan, who is fluent in English and has intermediate knowledge of Russian, also served as a visiting researcher at Oxford University's Changing Character of War (CCW) program and the Solomon Asch Conflict Center.

ENTRY INTO POLITICS: DEVA PARTY FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP

Metin Gürcan was among the founding members of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), which was established in 2020 under the leadership of Ali Babacan. He drew attention on the political scene, particularly with his comments on foreign policy, security, and military transformation.

THE JUDICIAL DECISION AGAINST HIM

In June 2025, Gürcan was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison for the crime of “obtaining information that must remain confidential for the security and political interests of the state.” This decision caused a wide repercussion in public opinion, and Gürcan's background was once again brought under scrutiny.

News Source: 12punto