Five defendants receive severe life sentences for the murder of former Gray Wolves leader Sinan Ateş

Duvar English

On October 2, a court in Ankara sentenced five defendants to an aggravated life sentence for the murder of the former leader of the Gray Wolves (“Ülkü Ocakları”), Sinan Ateş.

Ateş was murdered by two people on a motorcycle while leaving a building in the capital Ankara on December 30, 2022. His family accused seniors from the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of the murder. The Gray Wolves, which have operated in Turkey for decades, are considered the armed wing of the MHP.

The suspects who received life sentences include gunman Eray Özyağcı, Vedat Balkaya, who fled the crime scene on a motorcycle, and Suat Kurt, who was conducting reconnaissance trips before the murder.

Doğukan Çep, who was accused of incitement, also received an aggravated life sentence for “intentional homicide with intent” and Tolgahan Demirbaş for “facilitating deliberate homicide with intent.” Demirbaş is a former Gray Wolves manager.

The gunman, Özyağcı, previously said that he shot Ateş at Doğukan Çep's request. It was also alleged that Tolgahan Demirbaş searched for Sinan Ateş's address information and asked the police, national intelligence officials and officials for information about Sinan Ateş.

He is also said to have kidnapped Özyağcı after the murder and brought him to the house of then MHP deputy Olcay Kılavuz.

The court also sentenced defendants Aşkın Mert Gelenbey, Murat Can Çolak and Emre Yüksel to 18 years in prison each, and Mustafa Uzunlar to 15 years for “aiding and abetting premeditated murder” and defendant Alper Atay to two years in prison for “aiding the guilty.”

Selman Bozkurt was also sentenced to 13 years in prison for “attempted intentional homicide”. He was injured in the shoulder during the attack on Ateş.

The court acquitted ten other defendants.

On the other hand, the court decided to separate the file against the defendants Serdar Öktem and Mustafa Ensar Aykal for “aiding and abetting premeditated murder” and another file against Aykal for “unlawfully obtaining and disseminating personal data.”

Öktem is a lawyer at the MHP, while Aykal is a police officer.

During a break in the trial, a person attacked Sinan Ateş's sister Selma Ateş. The attacker was later arrested.

The Ateş family was frequently targeted by MHP figures during the trial, including MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.

Most recently, on October 1, Bahçeli said: “It will never be appropriate for a lady, regardless of her age, to speak into a microphone, be a figurehead of political incitement and a remote-controlled game,” referring to Sinan Ateş's wife Ayşe Ateş .

The Ateş family accuses İzzet Ulvi Yönter, Semih Yalçın, Olcay Kılavuz and Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım of instigating the murder.

İzzet Ulvi Yönter is a four-term MHP deputy, while Semih Yalçın is MHP deputy chairman. Olcay Kılavuz was an MHP deputy at the time and was reportedly involved in the case. Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım is the current boss of the Gray Wolves.