20.11.2025 12:57
The trial has begun for special operations police officer Ahmet Ç., who caused the death of his friend Kadir Özkök while introducing his service pistol in Bakırköy. In his defense, the police officer stated that he thought the gun was unloaded and said, "When he said he was shot, I thought he was joking." He was arrested by the court during the hearing. While the victim's family is requesting the heaviest penalty, the case has been postponed.
The trial of the police officer who caused the death of his friend while demonstrating his service pistol in Bakırköy has begun. The court ruled for the arrest of the police officer, who was being tried without detention, and postponed the case.
On October 9, 2024, special operations police officer Ahmet Ç. (31) met with his friend Kadir Özkök (31) in Bakırköy. While explaining how to fire his service pistol, the gun accidentally discharged, resulting in Özkök being shot and killed. The first hearing at the Bakırköy 22nd High Criminal Court was attended by the defendant Ahmet Ç., the mother of the deceased Kadir Özkök, Ayşe Özkök, the victim's brother Hazar Özkök, and the lawyers of both parties.
"THE GUN FIRED WHILE I WAS MAKING MY MOVE"
In his defense during the hearing, the defendant Ahmet Ç. stated, "I had been injured in a conflict shortly before the incident, and that case is ongoing at the Küçükçekmece Courthouse. On the day of the incident, I left home for my physical therapy session. After my appointment, I contacted Kadir. He called me to his workplace in Florya, and I suggested we meet outside, explaining that I had just finished my duty and was tired. Since he insisted and he is a dear friend of mine, I went to his workplace. On the day of the incident, he took my gun and started demonstrating shooting techniques to me. He pointed the gun at me at that moment, and I did not stop him. He asked me to hand over my gun. He wanted me to perform a maneuver with the gun, and we were doing those moves one by one. While I was making my move, suddenly the gun fired; I thought the gun was empty, I had no idea the magazine was loaded," he expressed.
"I THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING"
The defendant Ahmet Ç. stated that he did not realize the gun had fired, saying, "At first, I didn't understand the situation; when he said he was shot, I thought he was joking. Then I saw blood coming from his body. I called an ambulance. I started shouting for help. At that moment, I was only trying to save him. I called another police friend who had first aid training and tried to do something. Then the police arrived. I couldn't remember what I was saying here for a while after the incident. I understood some things when I watched the security cameras. I learned he had passed away a day later. Kadir was my best friend," he said.
"THE DEFENDANT AND MY SON GREW UP TOGETHER"
During the hearing, the victim's father Ergün Özkök stated, "They informed me about the incident over the phone, and I went to the hospital. If the defendant has a punishment, he should serve it; the defendant and my son grew up together. My son always spoke well of the defendant, never said anything bad. I told him that the defendant, being a special operations police officer, needed to be careful. My son told me, 'No, dad, he doesn't even drink alcohol,'" he said.
Meanwhile, while the victim's father was making his statement, the detained defendant began to cry. The victim's mother Ayşe Özkök stated, "My concern is my child; I trust in justice. I want him to receive the heaviest sentence. If my child is rotting in the ground, he should rot in prison too," she said.
The defense attorneys for the defendant stated that he did not act with the intent to kill and that the incident occurred as an accident, requesting his acquittal, while the attorney for the victim stated that the defendant's statements were not true and demanded the heaviest punishment. The public prosecutor requested the defendant's arrest, considering the nature and quality of the charges against him.
HE WAS ARRESTED
The court panel, announcing its interim decision, ruled for the arrest of the defendant Ahmet Ç. based on the nature and quality of the crime attributed to him and decided to postpone the hearing to address the missing issues.
FROM THE INDICTMENT
In the indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Kadir Özkök was referred to as the 'deceased,' and Ahmet Ç. as the 'suspect.' The indictment stated that an investigation was initiated following a report of 'injury with a firearm' received by law enforcement units around 01:19 on the night of the incident, and that law enforcement officers arrived at the scene. The suspect Ahmet Ç. stated to the police who arrived at the scene that he had spent time with the deceased, and while providing information about the gun, it accidentally discharged, injuring the deceased, and that he had tried to help, also stating that he called the 112 emergency service. The forensic report included in the indictment indicated that gunshot residues were found on the suspect's hands, and the expert report determined that the suspect was not under the influence of alcohol. The autopsy report of the deceased revealed that the cause of death was a bullet that entered the left chest cavity.
REQUEST FOR UP TO 9 YEARS IN PRISON
The indictment stated that the suspect Ahmet Ç. was taken into custody on the day of the incident, October 9, 2024, and that a routine control measure was applied to him. The indictment requested that the suspect's actions be evaluated as having been committed with conscious negligence, considering his profession, the fact that his pistol was an operational firearm, and that he was in a position to foresee that the gun could discharge when pointed at the deceased, and that he should be held accountable for the consequences of possibly pulling the trigger. The indictment requested that the suspect police officer Ahmet Ç. be punished with up to 9 years in prison for 'causing death by conscious negligence.'