Trial begins for suspects in murder of nationalist politician Sinan Ates

The trial began Monday for the 22 suspects accused in the murder of Sinan Ates, a former head of the Idealist Hearths association and an associate professor at Hacettepe University. The court rejected a request from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to join the case as a party since it was not directly involved in the case.

Cep admits to being instigator

In the case involving 22 defendants, suspects Eray Ozyagci and Vedat Balkaya gave their defenses. Dogukan Cep, one of the key defendants, admitted, “I orchestrated the murder.”

Cep provided a detailed account of his relationship with Ates, describing how Ates had promised to help him with a legal issue in 2013. Over the years, Cep alleged that he paid large sums of money to Ates for legal assistance that was never rendered. Feeling betrayed, Cep claimed he only intended to injure Ates, not kill him. “I really just wanted to shoot him in the legs. When I found out he was dead, I was upset,” Cep said. He also implicated Ates’ bodyguard, Selman Bozkurt, suggesting that the fatal bullet came from Bozkurt’s gun.

The second defendant, Vedat Balkaya, who allegedly drove the motorcycle used in the crime, claimed he was misled into participating. He recounted how Cep asked him to help with a “debt collection issue” in Ankara. Balkaya asserted that he had no knowledge of the planned violence and demanded acquittal.

Eray Ozyagci, the accused shooter, described the day of the incident, explaining that he had been instructed by Cep to shoot Ates in the legs and flee. Ozyagci recounted a dramatic escape to Izmir and eventually was captured by Greek authorities after an attempt to flee the country via Edirne.

Alleged plot against MHP

During his testimony, Ozyagci made allegations of coercion, claiming that prosecutors pressured him to implicate MHP leaders in exchange for leniency, an offer he refused.

Amid the ongoing trial, Ates’ wife, Ayse Ates, posted a statement on her X account, condemning the defense’s narrative and suggesting a broader conspiracy. She expressed frustration with the alleged misinformation campaign and called for a thorough investigation to uncover the true extent of the political assassination.