State Connection in Malatya Murders?

The joint attorneys in the court case concerning the murder of three men at the Zirve Publications in Malatya in April this year have protested that the investigation into the murder suspects by the Malatya Chief Public Prosecution is greatly flawed.

Phones changed dozens of times 

In the investigation, six-month records of the mobile phones which the suspects carried on the day of the murder have been demanded. However, it has emerged that in those six months suspect Emre Günaydin changed phones 35 times, Salih Gürler 38 times, Hamit Ceker 17 times and Abuzer Yildirim 16 times.

Suspects exchanged phone calls with politician, prosecutor and army member 

Furthermore, disturbing connections between the suspects, the political scene and civil servants have been found.
Betwen 15 March and 12 April 2007, main suspect Emre Günaydin exchanged 18 messages with a phone with the number 0537 677 5951. This phone is registered in the name of Ruhi Polat, a province council member of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Malatya. Polat and Günaydin also spoke numerous times on the phone, allegedly because Polat was researching missionary activity.

On 3 March 2007, another detained suspect, Abuzer Yildirim, called a number registered in the name of C.K.B. The address of this registered person is the Ankara Presidency of the Special Police Force.

On 8 November 2006, Yildirim also exchanged messages with prosecutor R.H.B. twice.

Suspect Hamit Ceker exchanged many phone calls with K.D., a person living in the Malatya 2nd Army Lodgings.

Insufficient investigation 

Furthermore, the joint attorneys have complained that the telephone conversations of suspects Cuma Özdemir and Kürsat Kocadag have not been investigated, and that the records of another phone registered in Günaydin's name have not been demanded.

Furthermore, the records for a phone found on Abuzer Yildirim and registered in the name of Mahmut Yildirim, and a phone found on Hamit Ceker and registered on Nurses Ceker have not been demanded by the prosecution.

How are Günaydin and Polat connected? 

In Yildirim's statement, it said: "Emre Günaydin told us that he got the information on missionary activities from a person called Ruhi Polat who went to his father's gym and researched information on Alevism, missionary activity and Christianity and wrote reports for the government." In Ruhi Polat's statement, it said that he had only met Günaydin a few times, that they were not close, and that he used his father's gym.

Letter not part of investigation 

The Presidency of the Union of Turkish Protestant Churches received a letter after the murders which claimed that "the persons encouraging and directing Emre Günaydin were our commander Mehmet Ülger and a lecturer at the theology faculty, Ruhi Balat (Polat). Balat was working with our commander Ülger for around 4-5 months. The first person to contact Balat was Halil Isler, the commander of the university police station. Later, contacts with our regiment commander were made through sergeant Mehmet Colak, with the code name Seyhmus. Particularly before and after the event, these meetings were frequent."

According to Today's Zaman, this letter has not been included in the investigation. 

Next hearing in January

The Malatya 3rd Heavy Penal Court is trying Emre Günaydin, Salih Gürler, Cuma Özdemir, Abuzer Yildirim and Hamit Ceker in detention. They are charged with being part of a terrorist organisation. Suspects Kürsat Kocadag and Mehmet Gökce are being tried without detention.

The case, the first hearing of which was on 23 November, has been adjourned until 14 January 2008. Because the defense lawyers were not sufficiently prepared at the first hearing, there have been no pleas on behalf of the defendants yet.(EÖ/AG)