07.08.2024 15:51
Ömer Tunç, who was tried and found guilty in 17 cases for the murder of businessman Halil Falyalı and his driver Murat Demirtaş in Northern Cyprus, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Veysel Sare was sentenced to 35 years and Musa Çiçek was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In a trial held at the Girne Heavy Penal Court in Çatalköy, a district of Girne in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the verdict of the defendants Ömer Tunç, Veysel Sare, and Musa Çiçek, who were convicted of planning and committing murder, among 17 other charges, for the armed attack on February 8, 2022, resulting in the deaths of businessman Halil Falyalı and his driver Murat Demirtaş, was announced today. The court sentenced Ömer Tunç to life imprisonment, Veysel Sare to 35 years, and Musa Çiçek to 20 years.
EXTRAORDINARY SECURITY MEASURES TAKEN
Extraordinary precautions were taken by the police in the verdict of the trial held at the Girne Heavy Penal Court. Special Operations teams were deployed in the courtyard of the court, Mustafa Çağatay Street, and many other points. The defendants were transported to the Girne Heavy Penal Court in separate cars under the protection of the Special Operations. The traffic on the street was stopped until the defendants were placed in the Heavy Penal Court. It was observed that the police took security measures in the courtroom as well. Prior to the verdict, the family, relatives, and loved ones of Falyalı gathered in front of the court.
VERDICT IN THE CASE
During the session to announce the verdict, President Banu Soyer, Senior Judge Mine Ozankaya, and Judge Temay Sağer, who formed the heavy penal panel, were reminded that the defendants were convicted of planning and committing murder, among 17 other charges. President Soyer stated that the defendants continued their actions despite being able to abandon the murder they planned, and that they carried out the murder in Çatalköy after calculating the departure time of the victims from the hotel. Soyer also mentioned that the defendants Veysel Sare and Musa Çiçek entered the country illegally before the murder was committed.
DEFENDANTS SENTENCED
Emphasizing that planning and committing murder is among the most serious crimes that carry a life imprisonment sentence, Soyer highlighted that according to the constitution, everyone has the right to life, which is the most fundamental human right. Soyer stated that the defendant Ömer Tunç personally committed the act of "premeditated murder," and therefore, they decided to impose a heavier sentence on this defendant. Soyer stated that the other defendants, Veysel Sare and Musa Çiçek, also participated in the crime of premeditated murder, and expressed that the defendants planned, designed, and desired the crime of "murder" in a ruthless manner. Soyer announced that they unanimously sentenced Ömer Tunç to life imprisonment, Veysel Sare to 35 years, and Musa Çiçek to 20 years in prison.