Kayseri’de Atatürk Anıtına Baltayla Saldırı! Suspects Arrested and Sentenced

Kayseri‘s Kocasinan district witnessed an ugly attack on the Republic Square around 11:30 on June 16.

According to the reports, Yaşar Kılıçkaya (59) and Zeynep Abdullah (31) attacked the Atatürk Monument with an axe. Police officers on duty in the square intervened with the 2 suspects. The suspects, identified as uncle and niece, were taken into custody, and 13 axe strikes on the monument were detected.

Following the procedures, Yaşar Kılıçkaya and Zeynep Abdullah were arrested. The investigation carried out by the Kayseri Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded, and a lawsuit was filed against the 2 suspects for ‘openly insulting Atatürk’s memory,’ demanding 1 to 3 years of imprisonment for each.

“WE DID NOT INSULT” DEFENSE!

In the trial held on September 10 at the 14th Criminal Court of First Instance in Kayseri, the imprisoned defendants, Zeynep Abdullah, stated, “No insult came out of our mouths. Our action was also in public view. We explained that as well. I took some actions in line with my beliefs”, while the imprisoned defendant Yaşar Kılıçkaya said, “We did something. We did something for the things we believed in with the emotions of that moment, but we did not insult.”

The judge sentenced the defendants Yaşar Kılıçkaya and his niece Zeynep Abdullah to 2 years and 6 months each for ‘destroying and damaging the bust of Atatürk,’ and 1 year and 10 months each for ‘openly insulting Atatürk’s memory,’ totaling 4 years and 4 months, and decided to release them. The judge did not reduce their sentences due to the defendants’ lack of remorse.

APPEAL COURT’S DECISION APPROVED

Upon the objection of the defendant’s lawyers on the grounds of excessive punishment, the case was taken to the Kayseri Regional Court of Justice.

In the review conducted by the 5th Criminal Chamber, it was stated that there was no procedural or substantive violation in the decision of the local court, and the applications were rejected based on the evidence, procedures, legal grounds, and the assessment of the court following the prosecution. Emphasizing that the decision was unanimously finalized under Articles 284 and 286 of the Criminal Procedure Law No. 5271, as the prison sentences given to the defendants were below 5 years.