Five defendants have been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for their roles in the 2022 assassination of Sinan Ateş, a former leader of the nationalist Grey Wolves (Ülkü Ocakları) organization.
The verdicts were handed down yesterday by the Ankara 32nd Heavy Penal Court in a trial involving 22 defendants, including 12 remanded in custody.
The hearing at the Sincan Prison Campus was attended by the defendants, their lawyers, and the family of Sinan Ateş, including his widow, Ayşe Ateş, his mother, Saniye Ateş, and other relatives.
The court issued its decision after hearing final defense statements from the defendants and their lawyers. Among those sentenced to life in prison was Eray Özyağcı, who was found guilty of "premeditated murder" for shooting Ateş, and motorcycle courier Vedat Balkaya, who transported the shooter to and from the crime scene.
Three others received aggravated life sentences for their involvement in the murder. Suat Kurt, who conducted reconnaissance prior to the killing; Doğukan Çep, identified as the mastermind behind the assassination; and Tolgahan Demirbaş. Demirbaş was apprehended at the home of Olcay Kılavuz, who also previously chaired the Grey Wolves and was at the time an MP with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which the group is affiliated with. Kılavuz didn’t face any charges.
Other sentences and acquittals
Several other defendants also received prison sentences. Selman Bozkurt was sentenced to 13 years for "attempted murder," while Mustafa Uzunlar, Aşkın Mert Gelenbey, Emre Yüksel, and Murat Can Çolak received sentences ranging from 15 to 18 years for their involvement in the crime.
MHP-affiliated lawyer Serdar Öktem, former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) operative Çağlar Zorlu, and several others, including Zekeriya Asarkaya, Hakan Saraç, Ufuk Köktürk, and Aytaç Ataç, were acquitted of all charges. Additionally, Caner Güney was released from custody.
In a separate ruling, the case of Mustafa Ensar Aykal, a former official of the Ankara Police Department’s Homicide Bureau, was split from the main trial. His detention will continue as further legal proceedings are carried out. (VK)