19.04.2025 14:21
A report was received by CIMER and the prosecutor's office stating that Dr. İlker Gönen, one of the defendants in the 'Newborn Gang' case who committed suicide in the prison where he was held in Antalya, had experienced psychological pressure due to threats he received from Fırat Sarı and gang members regarding harm to his family. The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the report.
In the case of the 'Newborn Gang', Dr. İlker Gönen, who is being tried on the allegation of being the 'number 2 member of the gang' and is detained in the Antalya Döşemealtı High Security Closed Prison, attempted suicide by cutting his wrists with a broken tea glass on February 1 in his single-person cell. Gönen died in the hospital he was taken to. While judicial and administrative investigations regarding the incident are ongoing, an email was sent to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding Gönen's death.
CLAIM THAT FIRAT SARI FEARED GÖNEN WOULD BE A WHISTLEBLOWER
In the content of the email evaluated as a tip-off, it was claimed that after İlker Gönen was released during the first operation process held in April, Fırat Sarı, the leader of the 'Newborn Gang', and those around him were concerned that Gönen would become a whistleblower, and for this reason, a person on behalf of the gang was asked to gather information on whether Gönen was a whistleblower. Despite it being revealed during the trial process that Gönen did not make any confessions, it was also stated that Fırat Sarı continued to worry about him speaking, knowing that Gönen regretted due to the gang's actions.
DETAILED INFORMATION COLLECTED ABOUT GÖNEN'S LIFE AND CHILDREN
In the letter written to CİMER and the tip-off email, it was stated that during the investigation, the identities of the secret witnesses were identified in the meetings held by gang members, and it was claimed that pressure was applied to a secret witness who is a nurse to withdraw her statement. After the emergence of the gang and the arrests, it was reported in the tip-off that gang members who were not arrested continued to hold meetings, and during these meetings, due to Fırat Sarı's concerns, detailed information about Gönen's wife and children was allegedly obtained from a gang member close to Gönen's family.
VISITOR TO THE PRISON THREATENED GÖNEN
After information was obtained about Gönen's family, it was stated in the tip-off email that a person alleged to be an associate of one of the gang members visited İlker Gönen in prison and threatened him. It was claimed that Gönen committed suicide shortly after this visit.
CLAIM THAT THE LAWYER HAD BEEN ACTING PLANNED FROM THE BEGINNING
Additionally, in the tip-off, it was mentioned that a disagreement arose between Fırat Sarı's lawyers and İlker Gönen's lawyer during the process, but after Gönen's death, lawyer A.M. took on the representation of Fırat Sarı, who was known to have a dispute with Gönen. The email claimed that lawyer A.M. had been acting planned from the beginning. An investigation was initiated by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on February 3 due to the social media posts made by lawyer A.M. after İlker Gönen's death.
INVESTIGATION INITIATED
Evaluating the claims in the email, the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation on April 16.