Pınar Gültekin feminicide case: One defendant released

Click to read the article in Turkish

Standing trial for killing university student Pınar Gültekin in Muğla, defendants Cemal Metin A. and his brother Mertcan A. had their third hearing at the Muğla 3rd Heavy Penal Court yesterday (February 15).

The attorneys of the parties, an attorney from the Ankara Bar Association's Poppy (Gelincik) Center, an attorney from the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services and the parents of Gültekin were present in the courtroom.

Arrested in Afyonkarahisar Type T Prison and Muğla Prison respectively, defendants Cemal Metin A. and Mercan A. attended the hearing from prison via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS).

'Witnesses recited their statements'

At the third hearing of the trial, four people were heard as witnesses, including Mercan A. and Eda A., the wife of Cemal Metin A., whom she is in the process of divorce. The request for recusal raised by Gültekin family's attorney Rezan Epözdemir was not accepted. Epözdemir referred to the witness statements and said that the witnesses were made to learn these statements by heart and then recited them at court.

After the judge asked one of the witnesses, "What kind of a life did Pınar have," both attorney Epözdemir and Pınar Gültekin's mother objected. The judge ordered the mother out of the courtroom.

Interim judgement

The court board has handed down its interim ruling and ruled that Cemal Metin A., who has been on trial on charge of "killing with monstrous feeling or by tormenting", shall remain behind bars. It has also ruled for the release of Mertcan A. with judicial control measures and international travel ban on the grounds that the evidence has been collected and, therefore, there is no risk of spoliation of evidence on his part.

The next hearing will be held on April 26, 2021.

Women were in front of the courthouse

Coming together in front of the courthouse in Muğla, women carried the banners that read, "We know that the murderer is not alone", "Enforce the convention, keep the woman alive", "İstanbul Convention keeps alive" and "Enforce the Law no. 6284," referring to the Law on Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women.

Women also chanted the slogans, "You will never walk alone", "We don't hush, we don't fear, we don't look down", "Women, life, freedom" and "Man hits, state protects."

Speaking in front of the courthouse, Ahsen Arıman from the Menteşe Women's Platform, Women Assemblies' Spokesperson Nazlı Barut and Gülbin Yerli underlined that who killed Pınar Gültekin was not a single man, but there were also other perpetrators.

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 got missing. First Cemal Metin A., then his brother Mertcan A. have been arrested as part of the investigation into her death.

A lawsuit has been filed against Cemal Metin A. on 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. now faces aggravated life sentence on the offense charged, his brother faces up to 5 years in prison.

Mertcan A. was released at his third hearing on February 15, 2021. (EMK/SD)