Important Issues Still Unresolved in Malatya Massacre

The fifth hearing in the trial on the murder of German national Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya on 18 April 2007 lasted for about 12 hours. The hearing had begun at 9:30 in the morning.

During the hearing held on April 14, the joint attorneys demanded that the Interior Ministry is asked for a report on whether security officials had been involved in activities that constitute a disciplinary offense during the administrative investigation process. The judges rejected this demand saying that it bears no relation to “the trial and the defendants.”

The Malatya 3rd High Criminal Court also stated that it could take into consideration the attorneys’ demand to ask for the telephone records of the defendants for the period of one year before the incident “only if a detailed and justified request is made, since this could violate the privacy of people not involved in the trial.”

"It will be difficult to see the real picture”

Joint attorney Tahir Elci spoke to bianet about the trial:

"Only the murderers are known. We have not been able to get a hold of those, who planned and provoked the incident and their organization. This path has been blocked.  Maybe we will have more information after the questioning of Emre Gunaydin. But it will be very difficult for us to see the real picture behind the incident including all, who are responsible.”

The judges accepted Gunaydin’s lawyer’s request that the defendant’s bone age is determined. They decided to ask for Gunaydin’s birth record and other documents that could serve as evidence. Defendants Abuzer Yildirim, Cumali Ozdemir and Salih Gurler, who are all under arrest pending the outcome of the trial, accused Emre Gunaydin. They claimed that Gunaydin threatened them not to change their statements.

Denial amid blood stains on clothes 

The three defendants, who claim that the killings happened after the victims insulted them, stated that they did not stab anyone. The joint attorneys and the judges asked about the blood stains on the clothes of the defendants. The three defendants often left questions unanswered saying “I don’t remember.”

The statements that Gunaydin will make during the next hearing on 12 May will be of key importance after these statements. Gunaydin is under arrest pending the outcome of the trial.

SIM cards on tens of mobile phones

The joint attorneys and the judges asked why Yildirim used a mobile phone with 16 different phone lines. “I was selling second-hand telephones in my free time,” answered Yildirim. The same question was asked to Gurler, who had used his SIM card on 40 different mobile phones. Gurler stated that he had been using his friends’ mobile phones after selling his own mobile phone.

Ozdemir and Yildirim stated that they were not involved in the incident, where the victims’ hands were tied and where they were stabbed. The joint attorneys rejected these claims stating that there were blood stains on the knives and the clothes of the defendants.

The defendants Emre Gunaydin, Cumali Ozdemir, Salih Ceker, Abuzer Yildirim, Hamit Ceker are at the Malatya E-type prison pending the outcome of the trial. They are facing life sentence in solitary confinement and with no possibility of parole. Defendant Mehmet Gokce has been released pending the trial.

Background

The three employees of Malatya’s Zirve Publishing House were murdered on 18 April 2007. Their throats were slit. Defendants Gurler, Yildirim, Ozdemir and Ceker were captured at the crime scene.

Gunaydin was captured injured after he attempted to escape the crime scene by jumping out the window on the third floor. He was arrested after being treated for his injuries. (GG/EA/EÜ)