04 February 2016•Update: 04 February 2016
ISTANBUL
A terror suspect wanted for the 1996 killing of a Turkish tycoon will wait for his trial in prison, an Istanbul court decided Thursday.
The 18th High Criminal Court in Istanbul decided for Ismail Akkol to be remanded in custody on charges of involvement in the killing of Ozdemir Sabanci, a member of one of Turkey’s richest families.
The court said in its verdict that the decision was due to the nature of the crime and the suspect’s escaping from the judiciary process for a long time.
Akkol said he was “fighting for justice”. “But I do not even know what I am accused of,” he said.
The first indictment prepared in 1997 sought a death penalty against Akkol on charges of “attempting to subvert the constitutional order by force of arms", in accordance with the old Turkish Penal Code’s 146/1 article that was in force at the time when crime was committed. The penalty was later commuted to aggravated life imprisonment after law reform.
Akkol was arrested Tuesday in possession of explosives and guns at a bus station in western Turkish province of Aydin, together with another terror suspect member of Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). Akkol and the other suspect reportedly entered Turkey on false passports from a nearby Greek island and had been planning to assassinate a leading figure from industry or politics.
The DHKP-C are among a number of terror organizations targeting Turkey, including Daesh and the PKK. Police have stepped up operations against all three in recent months.
Twenty years ago, the industrialist was shot dead on the 25th floor of the Sabanci Holding building in Istanbul along with his secretary and another executive. The investigation into his murder was restarted in 2010 when new information was provided by one of the alleged killers.
The Sabanci Holding published Thursday a message extending gratitude to the Turkish Interior Ministry, Turkish Police and the personnel of all relevant institutions and organizations for “arresting and bringing to justice” the person accused of the assassination of Ozdemir Sabanci, Haluk Gorgun and Nilgun Hasefe.
