Reyhanlı Blasts Case Changes 3 Cities in 3 Hearings

Known as “Reyhanlı Blasts”, the case concerning the killing of 52 people after the explosion of 2 cars in the southern province of Hatay on May 11, 2013, has been transferred to a court in Ankara for “security reasons” yesterday.

33 defendants are charged with “purposefully and willingly participating and executing a plot that would undermine state security and shock the society” according to Turkish Penal Code Article 302. 

With this transfer, the case will be heard in three different cities in three different hearing sessions. 

Advocate Deniz Özbilgin told bianet that the hearing was only attended by attorney and family members. 

“And there were few journalists,” Özbilgin continued, “I don’t understand why there has been a security concern.” 

He said that the case moved to the third city on the third hearing. 

The first hearing was held by Adana 1st High Criminal Court. No identification was made, no indictment has been announced. In the meanwhile, the special-duty courts were removed in Turkey and the case was transferred to Hatay. 

Hatay 1^st High Criminal Court returned the case, saying that they had no competence over the case. Later on, the case was forwarded back to the same court, so the same court had to issue the case even though it initially found itself “incompetent”.

Prior to a third hearing in the same court, the case was transferred to Ankara 9^th High Criminal Court.

Advocate Özbilgin said he was curious how the hearing had a security problem when even defendants didn’t attend.  

“In the last hearing, there was a police circle on the 300 meter diameter that you could reach the courthouse building. Only a handful of journalists could attend the hearing. The only observer family was Oğulcan Tuna’s.”

What is in the indictment?

Drafted by Prosecutor Özcan Şişman, the 110-page indictment accuses 33 suspects (15 jailed, 11 non-jailed, 7 fugitive) for killing 52 people (including 5 children), attempting to kill 130 and wounding 25. 

Defendants Mihraç Ural (charged with plotting), Nasır Eskiocak (charged with executing the blasts) and other suspects face aggravated prison sentence (53 fold) and a combined of 3,597 years of prison.  

The indictment also charges all defendants with “purposefully and willingly participating and executing a plot that would undermine state security and shock the society” according to Turkish Penal Code Article 302. 

16 defendants have also been charged with aiding the suspects, facing prison sentences from 10 to 15 years. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.