Notable remarks about Cem Garipoğlu: He learned Chinese and Russian while in prison.

The lawyer of Münevver Karabulut, who was murdered on March 3, 2009, in Bahçeşehir, Rezan Epözdemir, evaluated the decision given by the chief prosecutor regarding the exhumation of Cem Garipoğlu's grave in front of the Anadolu Courthouse in Kartal. Lawyer Epözdemir made striking statements regarding Garipoğlu's prison process before his suicide.

"THE BODY WILL BE EXHUMED AND SENT TO FORENSIC MEDICINE"

Epözdemir stated, "I see this as a delayed decision, but we thank the esteemed Chief Prosecutor's Office very much. The public conscience will be relieved, justice will be served, and the material truth will come to light. We also trust the Forensic Medicine Institution," he said. Epözdemir added, "According to the instructions of the Silivri Chief Prosecutor's Office, Cem Garipoğlu's body will be completely exhumed. It will be sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution, which will conduct this examination, and the body will be reburied. The instructions given are precisely in this direction." He continued, "I see this as a delayed decision, but we thank the esteemed Chief Prosecutor's Office very much. We are grateful and express our thanks. In the end, our legal struggle has found a response. We have been fighting for this for exactly 10 years. The public conscience will be relieved, justice will be served, and the material truth will come to light. We also trust the Forensic Medicine Institution," he said.

"A MURDER COMMITTED AGAINST THE ESSENCE OF BEING HUMAN"

Lawyer Rezan Epözdemir stated, "As you know, on March 3, 2019, 15 years ago, Münevver Karabulut was taken away from her family and loved ones in the prime of her life. A saw was used before her death. A brutal and savage murder was committed. To put it bluntly, a murder was committed against the essence of being human. She was killed with monstrous intent and tortured, and the perpetrator fled for about 6 months, you know, for 187 days. He did not surrender. After surrendering to justice, he told a story lacking an old man with a white beard. At that time, it became a precedent case in terms of raising awareness about the follow-up processes. If we can talk about violence against women and femicides in Turkey today, and if we can mention the unified struggle of you, the valuable members of the press, mass communication tools, print and visual media, civil society organizations, and the judiciary, it is because of the significance of the Münevver Karabulut murder. Because, as you know, we looked at 74 cases of violence against women and femicides as a social responsibility project. Nazlı Sinem Erköseoğlu, Pınar Gültekin, but the first precedent of these is Münevver Karabulut. A serious reaction arose in the public. Today, if all the instruments of the country are working together regarding women who are victims of violence and murdered women, including the press, judiciary, Chief Prosecutor's Office, print and visual media, civil society organizations, and women's organizations, it is related to this," he said.

"LEARNING CHINESE AND RUSSIAN IN PRISON"

Lawyer Epözdemir stated, "Of course, while the process continued, there was one case, then eleven cases. There were omissions in forensic medicine, the judiciary, and law enforcement. We followed these. You know they threatened us, sent bullets. They sent letters, tried to manipulate us. We reported it to the Chief Prosecutor's Office. The heaviest penalty that could be imposed under our domestic law was given. He took advantage of his young age. We had sent him to Kartal State Hospital for bone age determination. Despite all this, it was determined that Cem Garipoğlu had not completed 18 years of age at the time he committed the murder. You know it was a very brutal murder. A saw was used while he was still alive, his head was decapitated, and his body was left in a guitar case and thrown into a trash container in Etiler. We are talking about a body that was found by chance. It is also traumatic. We reached the year 2014. The heaviest penalty that could be imposed under our domestic law was a 24-year prison sentence. In the meantime, Cem Garipoğlu was giving statements to the press and the public. There is a report from the prison psychologist in the file. The psychologist says, 'He is not suicidal, there is no reason for suicide. He is a very healthy person, he even stopped taking antidepressants.' There is no suicide note. In other words, a person who commits suicide should have an expression that reflects their will to the outside world, to the public. There should be a suicide note, a record in history. But there is none in terms of the concrete case. The day before, he spoke with his family and said, 'Get me out of here. I can't stay here anymore.' He is learning Chinese and Russian. He knows five languages, and one morning, news began to circulate in the public about Cem Garipoğlu's death," he expressed.

"THE GRAVE WILL BE OPENED WITHIN 3-4 DAYS"

Rezan Epözdemir stated, "The grave will be opened within 3-4 days. Today I met with the Chief Prosecutor's Office. I specifically requested that precautions and measures be taken from the Deputy Chief Prosecutor. As of now, precautions and measures are being taken at the cemetery. Because evidence may be lost there. I specifically requested sensitivity regarding the taking of precautions and measures. Cem Garipoğlu's body will be completely exhumed and sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution. There, the Forensic Medicine Institution will conduct this examination. The instructions given are precisely in this direction; the exhumation process will be carried out this way. A notification will be made to one of the deceased's relatives about the decision, and a record will be prepared regarding the notification," he said.

"THE ENTIRE BODY WILL BE EXAMINED"

Lawyer Epözdemir stated, "It is necessary to have enough law enforcement present at the cemetery to ensure that the operation is carried out without loss of evidence and to ensure the safety of the forensic team throughout the process. All law enforcement must be present at the cemetery to ensure the dignity, objectivity, and transparency of this operation, and one of the deceased's relatives or neighbors must be present at the cemetery to be used for identification purposes. The body claimed to belong to Cem Garipoğlu will be exhumed from Karacaahmet Cemetery. It will be brought to the Forensic Medicine Institution for examination, and a comprehensive DNA analysis, including DNA and genotypes, will be conducted to determine whether the deceased is indeed Cem Garipoğlu.

"The body itself was taken. Instead of doing this with an example, the chief prosecutor's office deemed it more appropriate to do it itself," he said.

"IT IS A VERY DELAYED DECISION"

Epözdemir said, "A year ago, Cem Garipoğlu's father submitted a petition. He said, 'We also want the grave to be opened,' but the way this process came about was not based on a request from the Garipoğlu family. This process was carried out as a result of our application to the chief prosecutor's office, our follow-up, and our requests within the scope of the investigation. Therefore, we need to be present as a party representative when this process is carried out. Otherwise, the objectivity, transparency, and scientific nature of a process conducted without us becomes questionable. We have also submitted our request to the esteemed Chief Prosecutor's office. I strongly believe that it will likely be accepted as well. If even the grave of the late President Turgut Özal can be opened based on a judicial investigation and suspicion, then this is a very delayed decision for Cem Garipoğlu. Therefore, I see it as a delayed decision, but we thank the Chief Prosecutor's office very much," he stated.