Şükrü Yıldız: I requested dismissal of Ali Öz

Şükrü Yıldız, who was the chief civil inspector in charge of issuing preliminary investigation and examination reports, was included in the indictment issued in 2015. He is jailed pending trial as part of investigation against Gulenists. 

Here are the highlights of Yıldız's defence:

“It is claimed that I was assigned only for dismissing Ahmet İlhan Güler. That's not true. I also wanted to dismiss Celalettin Cerrah. When I came to Istanbul, they started to forge documents. They gave them as if they were written before. When I found out about this, I held brief meetings with some officials. I thought that the purpose is to distort the investigation. I wanted to dismiss Celalettin Cerrah, but Ankara didn't accept it.

“I also wrote a report about Trabzon Governor Hüseyin Yavuzdemir, who was dismissed afterwards. Concerning Ramazan Akyürek, chief of Trabzon General Directorate of Security, I said that they should give him some time, but he was dismissed.

“I also wrote for dismissal of Ali Öz, Trabzon Gendarme Commander, but they didn't dismiss him.”

“It is not true that I pushed the responsibility off on Istanbul”

“It is not true that I pushed the responsibility off on Istanbul. In 2010, they filed a complainant against me to ministry of interior. A preliminary investigation was launched against me. Then, Council of State ruled in favor of me. The complainant was Celalettin Cerrah.”

“I was assigned to conduct examination on January 27, 2007. Meanwhile, the media was reporting that the information about the murder was received a year ago. I requested the report in question (no. 248) from Trabzon governor and they brought it. I also found the gendarme contacts. The media was reporting that Erhan Tuncel was working for the intelligence department. Meanwhile, counter-terrorism branch in Istanbul launched an investigation, which was conducted by two prosecutors. The investigation was confidential. I didn't have the authority to examine a confidential file. We asked Ankara what we can do and they told that we should go to Istanbul.”

“I met with Cerrah and Güler in Istanbul. I asked whether the investigating prosecutors requested any document. I went to the court house and spoke to the chief prosecutor. I thought that I can go after the report no. 248, Erhan Tuncel and gendarme contacts. I asked whether it would breach the confidentiality. They said that I should ask them when I need a document. I issued a brief report about report no. 248 and requested preliminary examination and disciplinary proceeding.”

“No one has the report no. 246”

“The expert report states that I ignored report no. 246 during my examination. It was the report that was signed by Ramazan Akyürek and addressed to Directorate of Intelligence. This report should have been given to the prosecutors and me. I looked at the report by prime minister's office, I checked parliamentary committee, but no one had it. I haven't seen it and nobody has seen it.”

The hearing will continue on December 22 and Dink family's lawyers will examine Yıldız.