Slain politician’s murder case: 10 defendants released under judicial control

In the ongoing trial concerning the murder of Sinan Ates, former president of the Ulku Ocaklari Education and Culture Foundation and academician, ten out of twenty-two defendants have been released under judicial control.

The released defendants are Mehmet Yuce, Erdem Karadeniz, Osman Bayraktar, Zekeriya Asarkaya, Hakan Sarac, Ufuk Kokturk, Aytac Atac, Caner Guney, Umut Ersoy, and Alper Atay, as announced by the court.

A request to merge a separate investigation involving 17 individuals with this case was denied. Additionally, the court rejected the inclusion of a report indicating that Tolgahan Demirbas was detained at the home of former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) MP Olcay Kilavuz. The trial is adjourned until July 19.

On the fifth day of the trial, witnesses Yusuf Mert, Yavuz Suleymanoglu, Gonul Ergin, Ahmet Kecik, and Gokhan Turkmen were heard.

Witness Yusuf Mert, a motorcycle courier, testified that he encountered the fleeing individuals at a traffic light on the day of the incident. “The person on the motorcycle had a helmet, but the passenger did not. They were riding fast, which caught my attention. I didn’t see any weapons. The plate was partially taped over except for ’35 E’. I have no other information,” he stated.

Witness Yavuz Suleymanoglu said he knew defendant Aytac Atac as the owner of a cafe but did not know Ates. “A friend called me to inform me about the murder. My friend said someone was killed near our location, and when I asked who it was, he said Sinan Ates. I didn’t hear any noise. Aytac asked, ‘What happened?’ I told him that someone killed Ates. Aytac then called Tolgahan. I don’t know what was said on the other end. When I asked Aytac again, he said he didn’t know.”

Witness Gonul Ergin reported hearing gunshots while driving home from a doctor’s appointment. “I didn’t see the incident itself but noticed someone with a long-barreled weapon running. He wore no mask or cap. He got on a waiting motorcycle and rode off. I took a photo of the person who got on the motorcycle and later sent it to the police via WhatsApp,” she said.

Witness Ahmet Kecik recalled attending a mosque with Ates on the day of the incident. “After prayers, as we returned to the office, someone suddenly emerged and started shooting at Ates. I remember he aimed at the torso. I took cover behind a car. The assailant kept shooting. I saw Ates’ gun and felt the need to defend myself. I took his gun and fired a few shots without aiming at anyone. When I checked Ates, he was unresponsive. Selman was also injured. I took both guns to the office to prevent them from being lost and handed them to a staff member, telling her to keep them safe. Then I returned to help with Ates’ wounds and called the police and medical teams.”

Attorney Emine Tosun, representing defendant Dogukan Cep, asked Kecik about the shooter Eray Ozyagci’s claim that he heard someone say, “We shot the leader.” Kecik responded, “I called him ‘President’ since he was the head of Ulku Ocaklari. I never called him ‘leader’.”

Later, witness Gokhan Turkmen, owner of the hotel where defendant Dogukan Cep stayed after the murder, testified. He learned about Ates’ death from news sites the following day and stated he had no information about the incident. Turkmen, who knew defendant Alper Atay as a sports club president, said, “On New Year’s Eve, Alper Atay requested a room. I didn’t know for whom. Since the rooms were full, I arranged a staff room. I don’t know if Alper stayed in that room. He had a friend with him, but I have no information about who stayed with him.”

The trial will continue on July 19.