19.12.2025 17:45
In the Develi district of Kayseri, after the martyrdom of veterinarian Mikail Bozlağan (24) and following a terrorist bombing action in front of the Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Security in Ankara, the then Kayseri Provincial Gendarmerie Commander was acquitted in a case where he was tried for two different offenses on the grounds that there were no legal elements of the crime.
On October 1, 2023, around 09:30, two terrorists arrived in front of the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of the Ministry of Interior in Ankara with a light commercial vehicle with the license plate 38 TP 962 and carried out a bomb attack. One of the terrorists who got out of the vehicle detonated himself, while the other was neutralized, and two police officers were injured in the attack.
The light commercial vehicle used by the terrorists to carry out the bombing was determined to have been stolen a day earlier in the Develi district of Kayseri. It was found that the suspects had assaulted a married father of one, veterinary technician Mikail Bozlağan, in the Çataloluk neighborhood of the district, shot him with a gun, martyring him, and then left the area with the stolen vehicle.
TERRORISTS CROSSED THE BORDER BY PARAMOTOR
About seven months after the incident, citizens searching for mushrooms in the Imamkulu neighborhood of Tomarza district found a paramotor among the bushes. Upon notification, gendarmerie teams were dispatched to the area, and the teams that arrived at the scene initiated a large-scale investigation in the region. The disassembled paramotor was taken to the Provincial Gendarmerie Command for examination.
LAWSUIT AGAINST THE THEN GENDARMERIE COMMANDER
As part of the investigation conducted by the Kayseri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a lawsuit was filed against the then Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Y.Y. on charges of 'misuse of duty' and 'failure to report a crime by a public official' due to allegations that the incident of gunfire on a vehicle reported to the 112 Call Center was not reported to the prosecutor's office, that no crime scene investigation was conducted, and that necessary precautions were not taken, leading to the failure to conduct the necessary investigation to locate the vehicle due to the lack of entry of the vehicle's PTS record.
In the first hearing of the case held on September 11 at the Kayseri 3rd High Criminal Court, the defendant, the then Kayseri Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Y.Y., stated that he did not accept the allegations, saying, "I am only responsible for transferring experience and receiving administrative provisions regarding the incident in question. I respect your decision. If you make a decision as soon as possible, my grievances in other cases will be resolved."
FILE SENT TO THE EXPERT
During the hearing, where eight people, including police officers and gendarmerie personnel, were heard as witnesses, the court panel decided to send the case to an expert panel consisting of police and gendarmerie experts to determine whether the defendant Y.Y. had legal responsibility, and postponed the hearing to address the deficiencies.
REPORT REACHED THE COURT
Following the request of the Kayseri 3rd High Criminal Court, the Ankara 20th High Criminal Court examined the file under instruction and appointed an expert. In this context, an expert panel consisting of a criminal law professor from Ankara University, a retired police chief, and a retired senior colonel completed their report regarding the then Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Y.Y.
The report emphasized that the personnel mentioned, who were subordinates of the defendant, were on duty on the day of the incident, stating, "When the legislation regulating the defendant's duties, authority, and responsibilities is examined, it is understood that the defendant can only carry out certain actions based on notifications made to him. In the incident under review, it was noted that no notification was made to the defendant by the personnel responsible for notifying him, and therefore the defendant was not aware of the situation that would require him to take action, and it was seen that he carried out the actions he was required to perform within the scope of his job description based on the information he had."
DECISION HEARING HELD
In the decision hearing of the case held at the Kayseri 3rd High Criminal Court, the defendant, the then Kayseri Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Y.Y., and his lawyer were present. The prosecutor requested the acquittal of the defendant on the grounds that the elements of the crime were not constituted for both charges. The defendant Y.Y., who stated that he trusted justice, said in his final words, "I trust the fair and conscientious Turkish judges. I request my acquittal." The court panel decided to acquit the defendant Y.Y. on the grounds that the legal elements of the crimes of 'misuse of duty' and 'failure to report a crime by a public official' were not constituted.