10.04.2026 13:48
The trial regarding the death of Leyla Aydemir (4), whose lifeless body was found 18 days after going missing in Ağrı, continued at the 1st Heavy Penal Court. It was decided to bring her mother, Şükran Aydemir, to the hearing by law enforcement due to the reason that her statement would change the course of the case.
The trial regarding the death of Leyla Aydemir (4), whose lifeless body was found 18 days after she went missing in Ağrı, continued at the 1st Heavy Penal Court. The detained defendant Yusuf Aydemir and the other defendants denied the charges and requested their acquittal. The court, which decided to continue Yusuf Aydemir's detention, ordered that his mother, Şükran Aydemir, be brought to the hearing by law enforcement, citing that her statement could change the course of the case.
Leyla, the 6th of 7 children of Şükran and Nihat Aydemir, went missing on June 15, 2018, in the village of Bezirhane, where her grandfather lived, during their visit for the Ramadan Feast. 18 days after she went missing, Leyla's lifeless body was found in the Kurudere area, 3 kilometers away from the village. In the investigation regarding her death, a case was opened against 7 defendants, including 2 of her uncles. At the Ağrı 1st Heavy Penal Court, uncle Yusuf Aydemir was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for 'intentional murder of a child' and 4 years in prison for 'depriving a person of their liberty by force and deceit.' Other uncle Musa Aydemir and cousin Mehmet Ali Aydemir, along with villagers Besim Dursun, his wife Hatun Dursun, and Yıldırım Artam and his wife Ayşe Artam were acquitted.
The ruling against Yusuf Aydemir and the other defendants, who denied the charges, was overturned by the Erzurum Regional Court of Appeals 1st Criminal Chamber. A decision was also made for the release of defendant Yusuf Aydemir. The Erzurum Regional Court of Appeals Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision regarding Leyla Aydemir's uncle's release. On December 24, 2020, the Erzurum Regional Court of Appeals 2nd Criminal Chamber rejected the prosecutor's appeal.
The Leyla Aydemir case was reopened at the Ağrı 1st Heavy Penal Court. After the 2nd hearing, the court panel stated that there was insufficient evidence to convict all 7 defendants and decided to acquit them. The court panel also indicated that the right to appeal was open.
SUPREME COURT DECISION OVERTURNED
Erdoğan Tunç, the lawyer of Leyla's mother Şükran Aydemir, applied to the Supreme Court requesting the decision regarding the case to be overturned on the merits. The Supreme Court Chief Public Prosecutor's Office found the objections of Lawyer Erdoğan Tunç justified and requested the case to be overturned. The Supreme Court 1st Criminal Chamber accepted these objections and overturned the case on the grounds of insufficient investigation.
UNCLE ARRESTED
Following the Supreme Court's overturning decision, the trial resumed at the Ağrı 1st Heavy Penal Court. At the hearing held on January 16, detained defendants uncle Yusuf Aydemir, along with A.A., Y.A., B.D., H.D., and M.A.A., attended, while M.A. connected to the courtroom via SEGBİS from Kocaeli. After the witnesses completed their statements, the 1st Heavy Penal Court issued an arrest warrant for uncle Yusuf Aydemir on the grounds of 'strong suspicion of murder and the risk of flight.' The court decided that the other defendants would be tried without detention.
MOTHER DID NOT ATTEND THE HEARING
During the hearing that continued today at the Ağrı 1st Heavy Penal Court, detained defendant Yusuf Aydemir connected via SEGBİS from prison, while non-detained defendants A.A., B.D., H.D., M.A.A., and Y.A. took their places in the courtroom. Leyla's mother, Şükran Aydemir, did not attend, while father Nihat Aydemir was present at the hearing.
‘THE CLAIMS THAT I SAID "THE GIRL WAS IN THE PANTRY" ARE BASELESS’
In court, AFAD employee Ahmet Erdoğan, who is alleged to have said "the girl was in the pantry" in a voice recording, was heard as a witness. Stating that he was on duty in Ardahan on the day of the incident and was working in data preparation control, Ahmet Erdoğan said, "I was not on duty on the day she went missing. The person in the alleged voice recording is not me. Muhammed Erdoğan is my colleague. We work in the same room. The voice recording we talked about belongs to me. There is no animosity between Muhammed and me. The claims that I said 'the girl was in the pantry' are baseless. I did not participate in the search. I did not meet anyone from the village or the family; I do not know anyone."
‘I DO NOT ACCEPT THE CHARGES AGAINST ME’
The only detained defendant, Yusuf Aydemir, stated in his testimony via SEGBİS, "They told me Leyla was found. Everyone was going that way. I also went towards the stream. I asked the gendarmerie, 'Is Leyla alive?' They told me she was dead. I came to Ağrı center; my phone was broken. I gave it for repair. I used a keypad phone. My internet was off during that time. I do not accept the charges against me; I am innocent."
Non-detained defendants A.A. requested his acquittal, while B.D. stated that he had nothing to say regarding the case. M.A.A., who said he had been in prison for 18 months and was a victim, also stated that he was a victim and requested his acquittal.
After the lawyers' defenses, the 1st Heavy Penal Court panel decided to continue the detention of Yusuf Aydemir due to the ongoing strong suspicion, the risk of flight, and the risk of evidence tampering. The court panel also decided to bring Leyla's mother, Şükran Aydemir, to the next hearing by law enforcement, considering the possibility that her statement could change the course of the case.
Meanwhile, mother Şükran Aydemir had dismissed Erdoğan Tunç, who had been her lawyer since the beginning of the incident.