Serdar Öktem had been detained in October 2024 in connection with the Sinan Ateş murder case.
In the case file concerning the killing of Assoc. Prof. Sinan Ateş, former president of Ülkü Ocakları, or the Idealist Clubs, a Turkish nationalist youth association, it was documented that the vehicle used by the MHP-affiliated lawyer Serdar Öktem, who had been arrested in connection with the case, and the car belonging to the father of MHP Member of Parliament İsmail Akgül, where the shooter was dropped off in Bolu, were caught on camera in rapid succession.
Later that month, in October 2024, a decision was made to release Serdar Öktem under judicial control.
Autopsy report
The preliminary autopsy report concluded for lawyer Serdar Öktem, who was killed in a shooting while waiting in traffic with his car in Şişli.
The preliminary autopsy report from the Forensic Medicine Institute noted that at least one of the injuries to Öktem’s head and face, and at least one of the injuries to his left arm, were each lethal on their own.
The report included the following statements regarding Öktem’s death:
“It was determined that his death resulted from internal and external bleeding caused by skull and facial bone fractures from firearm injuries, along with brain hemorrhage, brain tissue damage, and major blood vessel injuries.”
What happened?
Lawyer Serdar Öktem was subjected to an armed attack yesterday while waiting in traffic with his car on Büyükdere Street in Şişli. Severely wounded, Öktem was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he passed away. At the scene, police investigations found numerous empty casings from handguns and long-barreled firearms.
According to a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office:
“Based on witness statements at the scene and camera footage, and following tracking by law enforcement, a total of six suspects have been apprehended: five believed to have carried out the attack, and one suspected of assisting the perpetrators in their escape. Two of the suspects are under 18 years old.”
The statement added that the suspects were captured near the Arnavutköy district where they had fled. During a police search, four weapons used in the attack—two Kalashnikov rifles and two handguns—as well as items such as ski masks and gloves, were seized.
The statement also noted:
“Preliminary findings suggest that the act was carried out as a result of a grudge held by an organized crime group against the victim. The investigation is being conducted in depth by our Organized Crime Investigation Bureau, including all aspects such as identifying the instigators and determining whether the organized crime group was used as subcontractors in the incident.”
(AB/MH)
