The first hearing of the case opened with the allegation that intern students were subjected to sexual abuse in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) was held at the Ankara 57th Criminal Court of First Instance. Defendants Halil İ.G., Durmuş U., İbrahim B., Recep S., and Ramazan Ç. were present, and the defendants' statements were taken.
For the five defendants, a prison sentence of up to 16 years and 6 months is being sought for the charges of "sexual harassment of a child" and "sexual abuse of a child by means of harassment."
During the hearing, defendant İbrahim B. accepted the messages he sent to the intern student, stating, "It came to my void, I am very regretful." According to information reported by Mustafa Bildircin from Birgün; İbrahim B. claimed that he contacted the student after the internship ended and sent a message via WhatsApp, saying, "I did this for the first time. One evening I was feeling down, I was in a bad mood."
İbrahim B. also admitted to sending a message saying, "I am not happy with my wife," and expressed that he did not engage in any physical contact, apologizing to the victim.
Defendant Ramazan Ç. claimed that an intern called him after the internship ended and asked for money, saying, "We had a fight with my father." Çetin argued that his wife was aware of the money he sent to the intern.
INTERIM DECISION ANNOUNCED
The court decided to continue the detention of the 4 detained defendants and to lift the judicial control measure for the defendant not in custody, postponing the hearing to February 9.
WHAT HAPPENED?
A student named D.K., who interned at the TBMM during the 2024-2025 academic year, applied to the Ankara Provincial Police Department's Child Branch on December 4, claiming to have been sexually harassed by a person named H.İ.G. working in the Assembly cafeteria. Following D.K.'s complaint, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office completed the investigation and prepared the indictment. The indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that an investigation was initiated based on the allegations that 4 victims, who applied to the Ankara Provincial Police Department's Child Branch and were under 18 years old at the time of the incident, were harassed by Halil İ.G., Durmuş U., İbrahim B., Ramazan Ç., and Recep S., who worked in the Assembly cafeteria during their internship.
FROM THE INDICTMENT
The indictment noted that the statements of the victims were taken at the Child Monitoring Center, and in this context, 5 suspects were detained, with Halil İ.G., Durmuş U., İbrahim B., and Recep S. being arrested, while Ramazan Ç. was released under judicial control.
THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS A 'BROTHER-SISTER RELATIONSHIP'
The indictment included the defendants' defenses, stating that the suspects claimed there was a 'brother-sister relationship' with the victims, arguing that the messages sent to the victims were written within the scope of a business relationship and that the physical contacts at the workplace did not constitute harassment. The indictment recorded that, on the date of the incident, the suspects were evaluated to have committed the crime of qualified sexual harassment against a child due to their positions as individuals with public duties and educational responsibilities, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by their roles.
'MY LITTLE GIRLFRIEND' AND 'MY NUT' MESSAGES
The indictment stated that some defendants communicated with the victims via mobile phone and social media, sending messages containing phrases like 'my little girlfriend,' 'my nut,' and 'you are very beautiful,' and that the messages continued in a chain on different dates. It was noted that these actions, facilitated by electronic communication tools, constituted the crime of sexual harassment against a child.
In the victims' statements, it was reported that some defendants established prolonged contact under the pretext of shaking hands both inside and outside the workplace, engaging in behaviors such as hugging, touching the shoulder, wrapping around the waist, touching the arm and chest area, and whispering in the ear. The indictment stated that these actions constituted the crime of sexual abuse of a child at the level of harassment.
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MESSAGES DETECTED
Some victims stated that the defendants tried to be alone with them, suggested addressing them by their names instead of 'master,' frequently changed their work areas, and used this situation as a pressure tactic.
The indictment also included screenshots of WhatsApp messages submitted by the victims. As a result of the examination, it was determined that the messages sent from the defendants' lines contained sexually explicit, emotionally binding, and disturbing expressions directed at the victims, and that the messages were continuous.
UP TO 16 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OF IMPRISONMENT REQUESTED
It was stated that the defendants committed the crime of sexual abuse at the level of harassment through some of their actions carried out via mobile phone messages, benefiting from the conveniences provided by electronic communication tools, and that they exhibited behaviors both inside and outside the workplace towards the victims. An indictment prepared with a request for imprisonment of up to 16 years and 6 months for the crimes of 'sexual abuse of a child by means of harassment' and 'sexual harassment of a child' was accepted by the Ankara 57th Criminal Court of First Instance.