22.07.2025 11:12
In the Menemen district of İzmir, Turkish national Türkay Pala, who caused a traffic accident under the influence of drugs resulting in one person's death, had his sentence reduced to 17.5 years due to his expression of remorse after the accident, stating, "I wish this accident had never happened."
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On February 14, 2021, in Esentepe Street, Menemen district of İzmir, a car driven by Türkay Pala crashed into the car driven by İsmet Güzelküçük, who was operating a market with his father, from behind. Güzelküçük lost his life in the accident. Pala, who was taken into custody, was arrested. The expert report prepared after the accident stated that Türkay Pala did not maintain the distance between the vehicles and crashed into İsmet Güzelküçük's car. The examination conducted by the Forensic Medicine Institution also recorded that a drug substance was found in the blood sample taken from Pala on the day of the accident.
A case was opened against Türkay Pala for the crime of 'causing death by negligence' at the Menemen 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance. The judge ruled that the defendant should be tried for 'intentional killing' rather than 'causing death by negligence' and sent the file to the Karşıyaka Heavy Criminal Court. In the first hearing of the case at the Karşıyaka 1st Heavy Criminal Court, the defendant Pala requested his release, while the Güzelküçük family demanded the heaviest penalty. In the hearing opened on October 8, 2021, based on the petition of the defendant's lawyer, a bail of 100,000 lira was requested for Türkay Pala. After the bail amount was deposited, Pala was released under judicial control conditions.
'I WISH IT HAD NOT HAPPENED THIS SENTENCE WAS ACCEPTED AS A REASON FOR DISCOUNT'
During the trial process, Türkay Pala claimed that he was receiving psychological treatment and that the substances in his blood were due to medications he used for treatment. In a letter from the Ege University Institute of Substance Addiction Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, it was stated that the active substances pregabalin and tramadol found in Pala's blood are substances that are abused, and can only be prescribed by a relevant specialist physician under a green prescription, and that any use without a prescription is considered recreational, entertainment, or drug use.
The defendant's doctor, who stated that he received psychological support, was also included as a witness in the file. It was noted that the witness stated that the active substance tramadol was not present in any of the medications used by the defendant. A decision was made in light of the statements taken and the evidence collected. In the decision hearing held this month, the defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime of 'causing death with possible intent.' Due to the nature of the incident and the intensity of the possible intent, the sentence was reduced to 21 years. Since the defendant followed the trial throughout and expressed his remorse with the statement 'I wish such an accident had not happened,' a discount was applied, and the sentence was reduced to 17.5 years.
'THE REPORTS RECEIVED DID NOT MATCH THE DEFENSES'
The justification for the sentence given to the defendant was also announced. It was stated in the decision that the defendant's defenses did not match the evidence in the file and were not corroborated by witness statements. In the case seen in the family court for the custody case of the defendant's common children with his girlfriend, it was stated that the defendant openly declared that he used drugs, while in this file he claimed he did not use drugs. However, according to a message record included in the file, the same witness expressed that he felt morally disturbed and wanted to change his statement. The decision emphasized that the suspicion of the defendant using drugs was confirmed by scientific reports. It was also highlighted that multiple technical reports were obtained to examine the medications used in the defendant's treatment, and the results of these reports did not match the defendant's defense.
'HE REMAINED INDIFFERENT TO THE OCCURRENCE OF THE RESULT'
It was stated that the defendant drove at a speed of 140-150 kilometers in rainy weather and, under the influence of drugs, could not drive safely and was aware of the high likelihood of an accident, yet accepted the outcome and drove the vehicle at high speed in rainy weather and under the influence of drugs. Therefore, it was accepted that he acted with possible intent. The defendant caused the death of Güzelküçük by crashing into his vehicle from behind with his vehicle, which was above the maximum speed limits on slippery roads under the influence of drugs; due to the substances detected in his blood and urine that are classified as drugs, the defendant's actions exceeded the limits of simple negligence/conscious negligence, and it was emphasized that he remained indifferent to the foreseeable possible outcome.
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