05.12.2025 17:56
The case of 4-year-old Leyla Aydemir, who went missing in Ağrı in 2018 and sparked a nationwide mobilization, is being re-evaluated following the Court of Cassation's decision to overturn previous rulings. After days of searching, Leyla's lifeless body was found, and the acquittals were overturned on the grounds that insufficient investigation was conducted and new evidence was not assessed. The case has been sent back to the Ağrı 1st High Criminal Court and will be re-examined on January 16.
After the Supreme Court's decision to overturn, the case regarding the death of 4-year-old Leyla Aydemir is being brought back to court on January 16. In this critical hearing, it is expected that the personnel from AFAD who participated in the search efforts during the incident will be heard as witnesses, and the results of the comprehensive new investigation conducted by the prosecutor's office will be included in the case file. The case, which Turkey has been following for years, has now entered one of its most important phases again.
The case of 4-year-old Leyla Aydemir, whose lifeless body was found days after she went missing in Ağrı in 2018, is preparing to be heard again following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn. The Supreme Court had sent the case back to the Ağrı 1st High Criminal Court, stating that insufficient investigation was conducted in the previous trial and that the audio recordings submitted later were not evaluated.
As part of the process that has restarted after the overturning, the new hearing of the case will take place on January 16. Leyla Aydemir's mother, Şükran Aydemir's lawyer, Erdoğan Tunç, announced that personnel from AFAD who participated in the search and rescue efforts during the incident will be heard as witnesses, and the statements of the defendants regarding the overturning decision will be taken.
AFAD MEMBERS WILL BE HEARD AS WITNESSES
The hearing regarding the second trial of the case will be held on January 16. Lawyer Erdoğan Tunç of mother Şükran Aydemir stated that important individuals will be heard as witnesses and shared the following information: "As you may recall, the case was overturned by the Supreme Court as a result of the audio recordings I presented in the Leyla Aydemir case. In the hearing to be held on January 16, members of AFAD who participated in the search and rescue activities during the dates of the incident will be heard as witnesses. The statements of the defendants regarding the overturning decision will be taken."
Tunç also drew attention to the new investigation that started at the prosecutor's office following the Supreme Court's decision, stating that the process is being conducted comprehensively:
"After the overturning decision, I filed a criminal complaint with the Ağrı Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Following this, a comprehensive investigation began, and significant progress has been made. In the last three months, many people's statements have been taken; some individuals suspected of having witnessed the incident have been identified. It has been determined that one of these individuals has fled abroad, and a warrant has been issued for their arrest."
Lawyer Tunç stated that he has submitted new requests to the prosecutor's office for the deepening of the investigation, saying, "We are making intense efforts to clarify all aspects of the incident concerning both the defendants and their accomplices and to ensure that those responsible are punished. I would like to thank the Ağrı Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the homicide bureau teams for their meticulous work on behalf of the public."