The demand for aggravated life imprisonment for the murderer of Ramazan Hoca from Diyarbakır.

The prosecution announced its opinion in the trial of the defendant, who is accused of stabbing and killing Ramazan Pişkin, also known as "Ramazan Hoca," in the Fatih district of Istanbul. The prosecution requested that the defendant be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of 'premeditated murder'.

"I COMMITTED THE ACT UNDER THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED"

The detained defendant, Erkan Baykut, was brought to the trial at Istanbul 3rd Heavy Penal Court. The lawyers of both parties and Ramazan Pişkin's brother, Mehmet Pişkin, were present in the courtroom.

The defendant Baykut stated that he graduated from middle school and worked with his father in construction. During the trial, Baykut said, "I was under the influence of drugs. I mistook Saboor Murad for Ramazan Pişkin. I committed the act under the psychology of a person who has been sexually abused. I didn't know Ramazan Pişkin before. When I entered, I threw a stone at him. When he tried to defend himself, out of fear, I defended myself with a knife. I don't remember how many times I stabbed him."

"I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION"

After the incident, I ran away from there. I completed my military service. I did not receive any psychological treatment or take any medication before the incident. I do not have a report regarding my psychological condition. My parents are separated, and I used to stay on the streets, sometimes with my mother and sometimes at my father's shop. I had seen Ramazan Pişkin on social media before. I had been using drugs since 2017. I am not affiliated with any religious institution. Sometimes I watched religious programs on TV to improve my religion. No one directed me for this incident," he said.

"I FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DEFENDANT AND INSTIGATORS"

Mehmet Pişkin, the brother of Ramazan Pişkin, who filed a complaint, said, "I was in Diyarbakır on the day of the incident. I file a complaint against the defendant and instigators. I want them to be punished severely. My brother had no animosity towards anyone. He used to stay in the ruku position for 3-4 minutes while praying. He was killed while in the ruku position. My brother was killed with a knife in a planned manner," he said.

"THE DEFENDANT RAN PAST ME WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE THE SHOP"

Ibrahim Baştürk, who testified as a witness, said, "I don't know the defendant. I was sitting in my shop on the day of the incident. Our shops are next to each other. There was a noise. I said, 'Are they beating up the teacher?' When I went outside the shop, the defendant ran past me quickly. I didn't see if he had a knife in his hand. When I entered the shop, the victim was lying on the ground covered in blood. He was praying on a wooden floor, and the victim was next to him on the ground. His sleeves were rolled up, and he didn't have shoes on. I called out to the teacher, but there was no response, so I called an ambulance. He was lying on his side, and I checked his pulse by laying him flat and covering him with something. His pulse was beating, and shortly after, an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital. I had never seen the defendant before. The incident happened within 10-15 seconds," he said.

PROSECUTOR REQUESTS AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR THE DEFENDANT

The prosecutor announced his opinion. In the opinion, it was stated that the defendant watched videos of Ramazan Pişkin published on social media, and a few days before the incident, he visited the victim's workplace for reconnaissance. It was stated that the defendant planned and carried out the act of killing Ramazan Pişkin with a knife, which had the ability to kill with a single blow, when he saw him alone in his workplace. The prosecutor requested aggravated life imprisonment for the defendant Erkan Baykut for the crime of "premeditated murder." The defendant Baykut, in his defense against the opinion, said, "I did not commit premeditated murder. I did not give contradictory statements."

CONTINUATION OF DETENTION DECISION

The court decided to continue the detention of the defendant Erkan Baykut. The court accepted the defense's request to make a statement against the opinion and adjourned the trial.

INDICTMENT

The indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the investigation was initiated upon receiving information that Ramazan Pişkin, the owner of the business named "Diyarbakırlı Ramazan Hoca'nın Yeri," was injured with a knife and taken to the hospital.

The indictment included the testimony of Ibrahim Baştürk, who stated that he saw a man with a knife and saw Ramazan Pişkin injured on the ground when he checked the tea shop. According to the investigation of the security camera footage, it was determined that the suspect got on a municipal bus, got off at the İplikçi bus stop on Bahariye Avenue in Beyoğlu, and moved towards Hacı Hüsrev Street in İstiklal Neighborhood. It was stated that the suspect Erkan Baykut was caught hiding in the bathroom of a house located at Sebilci Street No. 16 in İstiklal Neighborhood.

In the suspect's statement, he claimed that he did not know Ramazan Pişkin, mistook him for someone named Saboor Murad, who he knew, and that this person was someone who sold drugs and sexually abused him. He claimed that they gave him drugs and that he believed that he had been cursed since 2021. The suspect Baykut stated that he had seen Ramazan Pişkin at the business named "Diyarbakırlı Ramazan Hoca'nın Yeri," which was 5 minutes away from his father's workplace, about 2 months ago. He said that when he went to him and talked to him, he initially saw him as a good teacher, but then realized that this person was actually Saboor Murad. Upon this realization, he remembered the harm Saboor Murad had caused him, and on the day of the incident, he first threw a stone, and when Pişkin approached him, he stabbed him out of fear that he could harm him and ran away.

It was determined that the suspect had not been seen at the scene before. The examination of multiple phone numbers determined to be used by the suspect revealed that no suspicious activity related to the incident was found in the call records. The indictment, in which Ramazan Pişkin's brothers are listed as complainants, requests that the suspect Erkan Baykut be punished with life imprisonment for the crime of "intentional killing".