Bombing Defendants Accuse Police of Forcing Confessions

A bomb in Güngören, Istanbul kiled 17 people and injured 154 in July 2008. The trial of nine defendants, one of them undetained, started yesterday (11 May) in Beşiktaş, Istanbul.

Relatives of those killed or injured had gathered in front of the court and wanted to lynch the defendants, who were protected by the police. One of the defendants shouted, “We have no connection to the Güngören bombings. This is a conspiracy.”

The court rejected demands for the release of the defendants and the case was postponed until 14 October.

The hearing was attended by detained defendants Hüseyin Türeli, Nusret Tebiş, Ziya Kiraç, Abdurrahman Oral, Şerafettin Kara, Cevat Aydın, Aydın Ağlar and Mehmet Salih Yanak and undetained Şaban Güneş.

Police accused of manipulating statements

When Türeli was questioned in court, he said that after being taken into police custody, he had been put under “psychological pressure” and that he had used his right to silence. He also said that he had been forced to sign the reports without them being read to him.

He said that he had gone home at 8.30 pm on the day of the bombing and that his family had told him about the event after watching it on TV at 10.30 pm.

Tebiş said, “I condemn this contemptible act with horror. Those who are trying to blame it on us should be ashamed.”

He said that a photograph had been taken of him and a person and been given to the police. Before the police took him into custody, they showed him the photo at his home. He said that he did not know this person but that their identity needed to be clarified.

Defendants reject previous statements

Kara said in court that he used drugs, and that he had had withdrawal symptoms in custody. He thus said that he did not accept any of his previous statements.

Ağlar said that he too condemnded the bombing with disgust. “I have no relations to any organisation,” he added. He said that his statement to the police contained expressions he had not used and that he had been forced to sign it without reading it. He said that his “normal statement” which he had given to the police was not in the indictment.

He added that neither he nor anyone in his family had a police record, and that he did not accept the accusations. He demanded his acquittal and release.

The court decided to open another case for Cevat Aydın, whose real name was Cihan Aydın. The court will write to the prosecution in order to open a case for forgery.

The court accepted 14 complainants to the case. It also decreed that the telephone records of Tebiş be obtained, as well as HTS reports.

Accusations of torture

The court also decided to ask at what stage the investigation of the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecution in Istanbul was into accusations of some of the defendants that they had been tortured, and whether a court case had been opened. (BÇ/AG)