07.11.2026 11:13
The hearing in the case concerning the death of Dorukhan Büyükışık, son of retired Major General Ethem Büyükışık, who was found dead at a construction site in İzmir in 2018, lasted 22 hours and has been completed. The court decided to release 12 of the 25 detained defendants, including police officers. A ban on leaving the country was imposed on those released, and the hearing was adjourned to December 18.
The trial of 26 defendants regarding the death of Dorukhan Büyükışık (26), whose body was found at a construction site in İZMİR 8 years ago, continued. At the end of the hearing, which lasted 22 hours, it was decided to release 12 of the 25 detained defendants.
Dorukhan Büyükışık, son of retired Major General Ethem Büyükışık, was found dead on May 13, 2018, at a construction site near his home. While the incident was recorded as a “suicide,” the file was reopened by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, and a case was filed at the İzmir 21st Criminal Court of First Instance against commissioners Atakan Kaçar (44), Deniz Asıcı (36), police officers Duygu Öztürk (35), Fikret Sarıaslan, Halil Arslandağ (55), Musa Erikçi (55), deputy commissioner Hüseyin Vurucu (49), and Narlıdere Police Station Chief İsmail Köksal (59) on charges of “abuse of duty,” seeking up to 1 year in prison. In the continuation of the investigation, an indictment was also prepared seeking life imprisonment on charges of “intentional homicide” against Hüseyin Kaya (69), Hulusu Aras (77), and Tayfun Çakmakçı (41), who worked as guards at the construction site, worker Bilal Çelik (47), and Ali Gülbaşı (77), a guard in a nearby area. The indictment was accepted by the İzmir 21st High Criminal Court. While both cases continued, the files were merged. 13 defendants began to be tried without detention at the İzmir 21st High Criminal Court.
26 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN NEW OPERATION
During the trial process, the investigation was expanded, and a custody order was issued for 26 suspects, including 13 defendants being tried without detention. Teams from the İzmir Provincial Gendarmerie Command TEM Branch Directorate, assigned by the Terrorism and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, launched a simultaneous operation in 9 provinces centered in İzmir on May 21. A total of 26 suspects, including construction company owners, police officers, and workers for whom custody orders had been issued, were taken into custody. After statement procedures at the İzmir Provincial Gendarmerie Command TEM Branch Directorate, a total of 26 suspects were arrested and referred to the courthouse, including 13 defendants being tried without detention, Tanyer Construction Company partners Mehmet Münir Tanyer and his son Mehmet Taylan Tanyer, former Narlıdere Police Chief İsmail Yalçın, and Crime Scene Investigation Bureau Chief Atakan Kaçar.
An additional indictment related to the incident was prepared last September. In light of the statements taken and evidence collected, prison sentences of up to 5 years each were sought for Mehmet Münir Tanyer, Mehmet Taylan Tanyer, Murat Köse, Cevdet Akay, İhsan Gökmen Ellez, Gökhan Aydoğmuş, İbrahim Kazmacı, Yiğit Aykurt, Hasan Ardıç, Aziz Kocataş, Onur Alp Saraç, Hüseyin Kaya, Bilal Çelik, Hulusu Aras, Ali Gülbaşı, and Tayfun Çakmakçı on charges of “destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime,” and for Veli Şenol on charges of “false testimony.” For the police officers İsmail Yalçın, Atakan Kaçar, Deniz Asıcı, Duygu Öztürk Özkan, Fikret Sarıaslan, Halil Arslandağ, Hüseyin Vurucu, İsmail Köksal, and Musa Erikçi, prison sentences of up to 7 years and 6 months each were requested on charges of “destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime by a public official.” This indictment was also accepted by the İzmir 21st High Criminal Court and merged with the ongoing case. Among the 26 arrested defendants, Duygu Öztürk Özkan was decided by an interim ruling to be tried without detention because she had a newborn baby.
THE HEARING LASTED 22 HOURS
The trial of 26 defendants, one of whom was not in detention, continued yesterday at 09:30 at the İzmir 21st High Criminal Court. In addition to the defendants, Dorukhan’s family and lawyers attended the hearing. Members of the press were not allowed into the courtroom. The defendants were heard and made their defense with their lawyers. Then the court panel announced its interim decision today at 07:30. In the trial, which lasted 22 hours, the court panel decided to ensure the appearance of witnesses B.T. and Y.A. by forced bringing and summons so that their statements could be taken at the next hearing, and to refer the file as a whole to an expert panel for a report to be prepared by a panel of 3 experts in the field regarding base station and call/incoming-call records on HTS records.
12 DEFENDANTS RELEASED
The court panel also announced its interim decision regarding the defendants. It decided to release defendants Ali Gülbaşı and Hulusi Aras, taking their health conditions and ages into account; and to release defendants Atakan Kaçar, Cevdet Akay, Deniz Asıcı, Gökhan Aydoğmuş, Hasan Ardıç, İbrahim Kazmacı, Musa Erikçi, Onur Alp Saraç, Veli Şenol, and Yiğit Aykurt separately, taking into account the time they had spent in detention, and imposed judicial control measures prohibiting them from leaving the country. In addition, it ordered the application of a judicial control measure of house arrest for defendant Veli Şenol. The judicial control decision of not leaving the residence for the non-detained defendant Duygu Öztürk Özkan was lifted. The hearing was adjourned to December 18.
Dorukhan Büyükışık’s father, retired Major General Ethem Büyükışık, said, “I am sure that justice will be served. I hope our judicial bodies will conclude this case fairly. Our struggle will continue until the last moment of the judicial process.”