3 Aggravated Lifetime Imprisonment, No Arrest in Zirve Publishing House Trial

Click to read the article in Kurdish / Turkish

Verdict has been announced in Zirve Publishing House massacre case.

The court has sentenced defendants Emre Günaydın, Abuzer Yıldırım, Hamit Çeker, Salih Gürler and Cuma Özdemir to three consecutive aggravated lifetime in prison on charge of “designed homicide” Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel at the publishing house.

However, the court didn’t order arrest of the defendants.

Verdict

The verdict announced was as follows:

Emre Günaydın, Abuzer Yıldırım, Hamit Çeker, Salih Gürler and Cuma Özdemir were sentenced to three consecutive aggravated lifetime in prison on charge of “designed homicide”.

Retired Full General Hurşit Tolon, Ruhi Abat, Murat Göktürk, Mehmet Çolak, Abdullah Atılğan, Varol Bülent Ağar, Hüseyin Yelki, İlker Çınar, Adil Akçay, Adem Gedik, Levent Ercan Gelegen, Aykut Saka, Kürşat Kocadağ and Mehmet Gökçe were acquitted of charges of “terror organization leadership”, “coup”, “violating workplace privacy”.

Retired Colonel Mehmet Ülger were sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison, Major Haydar Yeşil to 14 years 10 months and 22 days in prison on charges of “Violating privacy of information and forgery of official documents”.

It was decided to file a complaint against case’s defendant and witness İlker Çınar to Malatya Chief Public Prosecution for various charges such as giving contradictory testimony and taking out false ID.

Returned from Germany on April 18, 2007 and started to live in Turkey, Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel had been killed at the publishing house.

Salih Gürler, Cuma Özdemir, Hamit Çeker and Abuzer Yıldırım were caught at scene, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel were caught as trying to escape from the window of the third floor.