6 people had lost their lives... Scandalous defense in the illegal bungalow tragedy: This is fate

The trial regarding the deaths of 6 people in bungalows that were destroyed in the flood in İğneada and were revealed to be illegal continued.

The hearing at the Kırklareli 2nd High Criminal Court was attended via SEGBİS (Audio and Video Information System) by the detained defendant Bülent B., who is being tried with a request for a prison sentence of 3 years to 22 years and 6 months for the crime of "causing death and injury by conscious negligence," as well as non-detained defendants B.G., C.A., and S.U.

Plaintiffs Safiye Yaşa, Merve Sude Yaşa, Kadir Yaşa, Mehmet Han Yaşa, Hüseyin Duman, and Çiçek Dinç, along with the lawyers for the parties, were also present at the hearing.

The hearing began with the reading of documents added to the file regarding the rejection of the request for the recusal of the judge in the previous session by the 1st High Criminal Court.

The testimony of 5-year-old Mila Duman, who was rescued by diving teams on the day of the incident, was taken in the courtroom under the supervision of a psychologist.

In her testimony, Duman stated that she saw the waters rising in the morning and then the flood occurred.

Stating that another family was with them besides her own family when the waters rose, Duman said, "I was inside the house; when the waters rose, my father, my mother, my brother Kerem, and an elderly aunt were there. The waters took me somewhere, and the security men saved me."

Plaintiff Çiçek Dinç reacted by turning to the defendant, saying, "This girl is living in this psychological state because of you. You are a murderer; I hope to God that you experience what you made others experience."

After a short break in the hearing, plaintiff Hüseyin Duman also demanded that the criminals be punished with the heaviest sentence.

Expressing that they want the case to be concluded as soon as possible, Duman argued, "We no longer want the defendant to be tried and sentenced for the crime of causing death and injury by conscious negligence, but for the crime of causing death and injury by eventual intent."

Plaintiff Safiye Yaşa also claimed that it was determined by experts that the bungalows were built on a waterbed, stating, "A structure was built there by blatantly filling in a creek bed. This is eventual intent."

SCANDALOUS DEFENSE FROM THE DEFENDANT: THIS IS FATE

In his defense, defendant Bülent B. claimed that the bungalows were destroyed as a result of a flood caused by a natural disaster and the impact of tree logs.

Arguing that the expert examination regarding the incident was conducted too late, Bülent B. claimed that over time, the buildings were demolished and the wood, iron, and some belongings there were looted.

Stating that a natural disaster was mentioned in the expert report, Bülent B. noted that according to the reports, 245 millimeters of rain fell per square meter.

Reminding that the rainfall was effective in an area of only 80 square kilometers in Kırklareli on the day of the incident, Bülent B. said the following in his defense:

"In other words, there was more than just a natural disaster there. The center of the rain was the valley where the bungalows were located. This is fate. An exploration was carried out there, an examination was made. We have to trust scientists and legal experts. If I am guilty, let me serve my sentence. If my sentence is execution, let me be executed. On the day of the incident, the roads had collapsed; it was as if a meteorite had fallen. This is fate. If I were being protected by political powers, the bureaucracy, or the judiciary, I would not have been detained for 11 months."

Plaintiff Safiye Yaşa reacted while defendant Bülent B. was making his defense, saying, "Damn you."

In his opinion, the public prosecutor left the decision regarding the continuation of the detention of defendant Bülent B. and the request for the arrest of the non-detained defendants B.G., C.A., and S.U. to the discretion of the court panel.

In the hearing, which was adjourned for a while, it was decided that the detention of defendant Bülent B. would continue and that the judicial control provisions for the other defendants would remain in effect.

The hearing was adjourned to September 4, 2024.

After the hearing, plaintiffs Hüseyin Duman and Safiye Yaşa made statements to journalists and explained the course of the case.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

In the flood that occurred on September 5, 2023, in the İğneada town of Kırklareli's Demirköy district, Rahile and Ahmet Baki Şimşek, as well as Suna Duman, Ümit Solmaz, and Selman and Mihriban Bağışlar, who were staying at the facility, lost their lives.

News Source: AA