The court has announced its verdict in the case of Ali İsmail Korkmaz who was murdered in Eskişehir during the Gezi Resistance. The accused police officers Mevlüt Saldoğan and Yalçın Akbulut each received 10-year sentences, while the other accused police officers were acquitted. The bakery personnel involved in the murder each received sentences of 6 years and 8 months.
The court reached a verdict at the 7th hearing of the case regarding the murder of Ali İsmail Korkmaz. Before reading out the verdict, the Chief Judge felt the need to announce, “The verdict may be criticized, but please show your reaction outside”.
Of the suspect police officers, Mevlüt Saldoğan received a sentence of 10 years and 10 months, and Yalçın Akbulut received a sentence of 10 years. İsmail Koyuncu, Ramazan Koyuncu ve Muhammed Vatansever, the bakery personnel involved in the murder, each received sentences of 6 years and 8 months. The 8 year sentence given to bakery personnel Ebubekir Harlar was discharged in view of reductions and the time he had already served.
The other suspect police officers Şaban Gökpınar and Hüseyin Engin were acquitted
The verdict received was met with intense protests in the court room.
The Ali İsmail Korkmaz case had been transferred from Eskişehir to Kayseri on ‘public safety’ grounds.
The verdict expected in the previous hearing had been delayed when the no.1 suspect police officer Mevlüt Saldoğan failed to attend because of a kidney operation.
The hearing held today at the Kayseri 3rd High Criminal Court was attended by the Korkmaz family, and also Mücella Yapıcı and Can Atalay from Taksim Dayanışması/Taksim Solidarity, Istanbul Bar President Ümit Kocasakal, CHP Members of Parliament Sezgin Tanrıkulu and Hüseyin Aygün, HDP Co-Deputy Chairperson Meral Danış and HDP Member of Parliament Erol Dora.
Suspect police officer Mevlüt Saldoğan, for whom the prosecutor asked for a life sentence, took part in the hearing from the Ankara L Type Prison via the Sound and Image Information System (SEGBİS) because of his illness. He communicated with the court via a large screen erected in the court room.
The verdict was met with disgust by the audience, who chanted ‘This case will not end until we say it has’. The Korkmaz family later made a statement outside court house condemning the verdict. The police has currently attacked with tear gas and water cannons the Korkmaz family and the group that had assembled in solidarity with Ali İsmail Korkmaz and his family.
