13.07.2026 10:21
The investigation file regarding the deaths of Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and five others in a helicopter crash in Kahramanmaraş in 2009 has been reopened. In an operation coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, suspects identified as having committed premeditated murder were targeted in 10 provinces, and 25 suspects were detained.
The investigation file regarding the suspicious helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, founding Chairman of the Great Unity Party (BBP), and five others, has been reopened. In a major operation coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 25 suspects have been detained on charges of "premeditated murder" and "membership in a terrorist organization."
A critical threshold has been crossed in the judicial process concerning the helicopter crash that occurred in Kahramanmaraş on March 25, 2009, leaving deep wounds in the public conscience. Within the scope of the investigation transferred from Kahramanmaraş to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on June 12, 2026, simultaneous operations were carried out in multiple provinces this morning.
ANKARA-CENTERED OPERATION: SIMULTANEOUS RAIDS ON 30 ADDRESSES
As a result of efforts conducted under the coordination of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and by the Ankara Provincial Police Department, 29 suspects were identified who are believed to have committed the crimes of "establishing, managing, or being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and "premeditated murder."
Simultaneous operations were carried out at 30 addresses across 10 provinces: Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Balıkesir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Bursa, Isparta, and Afyonkarahisar. In the operation, 25 individuals were detained. It was determined that 2 of the identified suspects are currently in prison, while 2 are abroad. Efforts to apprehend the fugitive suspects are ongoing.
MINISTER GÜRLEK: NO FILE WILL BE LEFT IN THE DARK
Announcing this significant development in the investigation, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek emphasized that judicial and law enforcement units are working in full coordination to shed light on all aspects of the incident.
In a written statement, Minister Gürlek said the following:
"The investigation into the death of the late Great Unity Party Chairman Mr. Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and his accompanying delegation is one of the files that has deeply settled in the conscience of our nation and has long awaited clarification.
Within the framework of the duty and responsibility entrusted to us by our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it is our greatest responsibility to respond to our nation's expectation of justice. No matter how many years pass, no file will be left in the dark, and no doubt will be left unanswered.
We remember with mercy Mr. Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and all our citizens who lost their lives in this tragic incident, and we inform the public that the process will be resolutely followed to the end to clarify every aspect of this pain that has taken hold in the hearts of their families and our noble nation."