A brigadier general who engaged in human trafficking using an official vehicle has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Major General Bilal Çokay, who was arrested for human trafficking from Syria to Turkey using an official vehicle, was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison.

11 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE MAJOR GENERAL INVOLVED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The trial process for Major General Bilal Çokay, who is accused of human trafficking from Syria to Turkey during his tenure as the commander of the 16th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Diyarbakır, has concluded. The court sentenced Çokay, whose rank was revoked during the investigation, to 11 years and 6 months in prison.

WHAT HAPPENED?

After the allegations surfaced, Çokay was detained in Ankara and later retired. He was arrested on June 28, 2024, by a court decision in the Akçakale district of Şanlıurfa.

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

Sources from the Ministry of National Defense had responded to journalists' questions regarding the matter after the weekly press briefing in October: "As previously stated, we announced that retired Major General Bilal Çokay, who was involved in a human trafficking incident at the Syrian border and was retired by our ministry, has been referred to the High Disciplinary Board. The High Disciplinary Board has imposed a separation penalty on Bilal Çokay from the Turkish Armed Forces, and his rank has been revoked."

THE TESTIMONY OF SERGEANTS AND SPECIALIST SERGEANTS LED TO ÇOKAY'S ARREST

Çokay was arrested and sent to prison based on the testimonies of one sergeant and two specialist sergeants who had previously been detained, as well as the correspondence obtained. It was determined that the sergeants and specialist sergeants, whose contracts were terminated, had been involved in human trafficking using the same method for two years and had opened a nightclub and a car dealership with the illegally obtained money. In the case of the arrested sergeant, 600 thousand dollars (19.6 million lira) was seized.