There has been a new development regarding the bomb attack that took place on 13 November 2022 in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, where six people died and 99 were injured.
Police first began to track two suspects who were claimed to have arranged the entry of and provided accommodation for one of the perpetrators of the attack, Ahlam al-Bashir.
In an operation carried out on 27 December, police detained a total of 11 people along with the two suspects. Digital materials were seized in searches conducted at their addresses.
The police did not reveal the names of the suspects.
Trial closed
36 individuals had been out on trial regarding the attack. At the final hearing held on 26 April 2024 at the Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court, Ahlam al-Bashir was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment seven times, and also to a further 1794 years’ imprisonment and given a 22 thousand lira monetary fine on charges of ‘disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state’, ‘premeditated murder of a child through planned bombing’, ‘premeditated murder through planned bombing’, ‘attempted premeditated murder’ and ‘unlicensed possession of hazardous materials’.
The court also sentenced defendants Fatma Berkel and Ferhat Habeş to 1035 years imprisonment each on charges of ‘assisting in the disruption of the unity and territorial integrity of the state’, ‘assisting in premeditated murder through planned bombing’ and ‘providing firearms’.
Eight other individuals were also found guilty on charges of ‘smuggling of migrants’, ‘helping a criminal’ and ‘destroying, concealing or tampering with criminal evidence’.
On 22 February 2024, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) killed Halil Menci, reported to be the planner of the attack, in Qamishli, a city in Syria on the border to Turkey.
(HA/NHRD)
