Pınar Gültekin feminicide case: Defendant's sentence reduced due to 'unjust provocation'

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The court gave its decision in the case of the killing of university student Pınar Gültekin, who was brutally murdered, in the southwestern province of Muğla in 2020.

An unjust provocation reduction was granted to Gültekin's murderer Cemal Metin A who killed Gültekin and then burned her body.
Defendant Cemal Metin A. attended the hearing at the Muğla 3rd Heavy Penal Court via the use of the Audio-Visual Information System (SEGBIS).

At first, A. was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment. However, the court decided to reduce his sentence due to "unjust provocation" and acquitted his brother Mertcan A., his mother Ayten A., his father Selim A., his ex-wife Eda K. and his friend Şükrü Gökhan O. at the final hearing.

The court's decision stirred a huge reaction among the family members of Gültekin, women organizations, political parties, and public figures.

"They burned my daughter alive"

Gültekin's mother, Şefika Gültekin, said, "They burned my daughter alive. This is not right, lawful, or just."

Father Sıddık Gültekin said, "It was not just my daughter who died, but my whole family... Now I want to burn myself!".
"A person who burned a 27-year-old girl alive was given only 23 years."

"Does anyone understand me? I do not accept this. The President promised to follow this case. Let him come to Muğla and see"

'Justice died in Muğla'

Rezzan Epözdemir, the lawyer of the Gültekin Family, announced that they will take the decision to a higher court.

Yazıklar olsun. Tek kelimeyle bir hukuk garabeti. Adalet bugün muğla'da ölmüştür. Genç bir kadını diri diri yakan, yarınlarını ve umutlarını çalan bir caniye olmayan haksız tahrik indirimi uygulandı ve 23 yıl hapis cezası verildi. Diğer beş sanığa da beraat kararları verildi.

— Rezan Epözdemir (@rezan_epozdemir) June 20, 2022

 "What a shame. This is ridiculous. Justice died in Muğla today... This murderer will be released from prison after 14 years and 4 months if the decision is finalized like this."

"As a lawyer of the grieving family whose daughter was burned to death, I am ashamed of this decision."

Speaking to bianet, Epözdemir said every stage of the murder was planned.

"The suspect, who divided his phone into four parts, also divided the sim card into three so that the location of the accused could not be detected and that the signal would come from different places."

"I am the advocate for the families of the victims. Giving such a decision about a man who burns a woman alive encourages other men."

"They say they will fight against male violence, let them come and start this fight at the Muğla 3rd Heavy Penal Court."

Women reacted to the decision on social media

Reacting to the unjust provocation reduction given to the accused, Cemal Metin A., women used the slogan, "we are not safe!".

Böyle böyle cesaretlendiriyorsunuz. Böyle öldürüyorsunuz bizi.

Pınar Gültekin’i katleden Cemal Metin Avcı’ya ağırlaştırılmış müebbet verildi. Ama haksız tahrik indiriminden 23 yıl verildi. Kardeşi beraat etti.

— Çağrı Sarı (@cagri_sari) June 20, 2022

"That's how you encourage it. This is how you kill us.

Cemal Metin Avcı, who murdered Pınar Gültekin, was given aggravated life imprisonment. He was given 23 years for unjust provocation reduction. His brother was acquitted."

In the Muğla province, women's organizations also marched to protest the decision of the Court in the Pınar Gültekin Case.

Muğla'da kadın örgütleri, Pınar Gültekin davasında katil Metin Cemal Avcı'ya 3. Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi'nden çıkan ödül gibi kararı protesto etmek için yürüyor❗️#KadınlarKatlediliyor#ErkekAdaletSeyrediyor #Susmuyoruz#İstanbulSözleşmesi'ni geri alacağız@dilekaybulut @BodrumKadin pic.twitter.com/6FDWvi0Yxk

— Kadın Koalisyonu (@kadinkoalisyonu) June 20, 2022

What happened?

Pınar Gültekin (27), a student of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University in the Mediterranean region, was found dead on July 21, 2020, five days after she had gone missing. First Cemal Metin A., then his brother Mertcan A. were arrested as part of the investigation into her death.

A lawsuit has been filed against Cemal Metin A. on the charge of "killing with monstrous feeling or by tormenting" and against Mertcan A. for "destroying, hiding or tampering with criminal evidence."

While Cemal Metin A. faced an aggravated life sentence on the charges, his brother faced up to 5 years in prison.

Mertcan A. was released at his third hearing on February 15, 2021. Both the prosecutor's office and the attorney of the Gültekin family appealed against the defendant's release a day later. (EMK/TB/VK)