Ankara 13th Criminal Court of First Instance is hosting the first hearing of the case involving 11 defendants, including 6 police officers, who are accused of being associated with a crime organization claimed by a secret witness investigation. Among the defendants standing trial are former Ankara Provincial Police Vice Director Murat Çelik, former Organized Crime Branch Director Kerem Gökay Öner, former Branch Deputy Director Şevket Demircan, former Branch Commissioners Ufuk Gültekin, Gökhan Karaca, and Metehan İlkyaz, as well as Nurullah Özgür Kopuk, Ramazan Kubat, Adem Kaçan, Mustafa Çotuk, and Erdoğan Sertçelik.
At the beginning of the trial, Bora Kaplan, through his lawyer, requested to join the case. While the defendants requested the rejection of this request, the prosecutor demanded its rejection on the grounds that Kaplan was not the aggrieved party of the crime. The court judge decided to reject the request of Kaplan on the grounds that he did not suffer from the crime. During his defense at the hearing, former Ankara Provincial Police Vice Director Murat Çelik stated that he had been involved in the investigation related to the allegations, emphasizing that all the accusations were false since he did not commit or engage in any of the crimes mentioned in the indictment.
Former Organized Crime Branch Director Kerem Gökay Öner mentioned that the first operation regarding Ayhan Bora Kaplan’s criminal organization was conducted shortly after he took office. He explained the challenges faced during the operation and the measures taken for the suspects, indicating a strong effort to reveal the truth. Eski organized crime branch deputy director Şevket Demircan denied the accusations against him, claiming that all his actions were authorized by his superiors. Demircan also stated that they are currently being targeted by the criminal organization and its affiliates.
After the statements of the defendants, the hearing was adjourned for a break.