The words of the mother who experienced the horror of the newborn gang broke hearts: They tortured my children.

A family that has turned their life into a nightmare due to the 'Newborn Gang' that deeply shook Turkey has emerged. The Okutucu couple, who lost 3 of their quadruplets after giving birth at a private hospital in Kocaeli last year, and one of whom suffered vision loss, submitted a petition through their lawyer to be included in the case opened regarding the gang. The grieving mother, who stated that she tried to announce what they experienced through the press, said, "I couldn't make my voice heard. I believe this hospital is also part of this organization. There are many hospitals from Darıca to Bağcılar. I want it to be investigated. They tortured my 4 children; they should pay the price, and the hospital should be closed."

GAVE BIRTH TO QUADRUPLETS IN KOCAELI, LOST 3

Hamide Okutucu, who lives in the Gebze district of Kocaeli, went to the Private Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital on May 23, 2023. Okutucu, who gave birth prematurely, delivered quadruplets. Due to the premature birth, the babies were placed in an incubator. Two days after the birth, the family received the news that one of the babies had died. A few days later, their second and third babies also passed away. Allegedly, the doctor told the family that the babies had germs and that it was hereditary. The family desperately waited for their fourth baby, Cemre, to survive. Seeing that their baby's condition was deteriorating and that there were burns on her body, the Okutucu couple conducted research on the hospital and the doctor.

CEMRE BABY WAS IN A BAD CONDITION AT THE HOSPITAL

Baby Cemre, who was intubated for 3 months, was transferred from the Private Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital to Medilife Bağcılar Hospital via 112. Here, the baby placed in the incubator lost 100% vision in her left eye, and due to the medications given, her body weakened, impairing her ability to walk and move. The family, stating that their baby had burn marks on her body and that her bones were visible, initiated a legal battle last year for the punishment of those responsible.

THEY WERE SHATTERED AGAIN AFTER HEARING NEWS ABOUT THE NEWBORN GANG

The family, who buried their 3 babies, was once again shattered after hearing news about the newborn gang, which caused the deaths of their babies, in order to receive 8,000 lira daily from SGK by keeping their babies in intensive care. Remembering the painful days they experienced, the couple submitted a petition through their lawyer to be included in the case opened regarding the newborn gang.

"MY CHILD LOST ONE EYE AT MEDILIFE HOSPITAL"

Akın Okutucu, explaining their victimization, said, "We expressed our situation last year, but we couldn't make our voices heard. A year ago, we had an interview with you to bring this incident to light, but no one listened to us. If someone had listened to us during that process, perhaps these things wouldn't have happened to families. Unfortunately, our voice was not heard. I lost 3 of my babies at Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital. I wanted to take my fourth child, Cemre, from there. The doctor named Muhammet said that I would connect with 112, and we would be informed with their approval. When I connected with 112, they recommended a hospital belonging to one of the leaders of the newborn gang. We didn't know this. It was the Private Medilife Hospital. Unfortunately, my child lost one eye there. Our doctor in Çapa saved the other eye. Thank God, he did everything for my daughter. I believe that Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital, 112, and Medilife Hospital are working together," he said.

"WHY WAS MEDILIFE CHOSEN WHEN THERE ARE A THOUSAND HOSPITALS?"

Akın Okutucu stated that he buried 3 of his babies and that the other one suffered greatly, saying, "We expressed this a year ago with the news we did with İhlas News Agency. If precautions had been taken then, perhaps none of this would have happened. Private Yüzyıl Hospital referred us there. Our esteemed President has opened many hospitals. Why was Medilife chosen when there are a thousand hospitals? This is a network. I want all of them to receive the heaviest punishment," he said.

"IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO US, THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO MANY DEATHS"

Hamide Okutucu, who said they suffered a lot, stated, "Last year, we tried to make our voices heard with İhlas News Agency. Thank God, they were always with us. We tried to make our voices heard together with them. No one listened to us; we were not taken seriously. Perhaps if they had taken us seriously, there wouldn't have been so many deaths. We only wanted the doctors who treated us this way in the hospital to be punished. It is very bad for other families to experience this. I buried 3 of my children. My husband and I still haven't fully recovered. I hope everything will come to light. No mother should bury her child. I hope they won't suffer, and their children will sleep peacefully. That's all I want," she said.

"THEY TOOK MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE"

Hamide Okutucu, recounting her experiences, continued her words as follows:

"We wanted to take our baby Cemre from Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital. When the doctor refused, we applied to 112. Muhammet Hoca called and said, 'They want your child at Medilife Bağcılar Hospital; if you accept, we will send her.' We said, 'Wherever it is, we lost 3 of our children. We want to take our daughter from that hospital.' We went to Medilife Hospital. My daughter could see, but due to the negligence there, our baby Cemre went blind in one eye. One eye cannot see. The Ministry of Health made a statement. It was stated that these hospitals had been under surveillance for about 1-1.5 years."

We made news a year ago. If those hospitals were under surveillance, why was my daughter transferred to Medilife Bağcılar Hospital? They ruined my daughter's life. My daughter cannot walk or sit right now. She was in an incubator for 4 months, and her body became weak due to the medications given. She is currently receiving physical therapy. They also burned my daughter's arm. Someone needs to say 'Stop' to this. Mothers and fathers should not suffer.

"HER CRYING IS GOOD, SHE IS RESPONDING TO THE MEDICATIONS"

Okutucu, who feels the pain of the babies, said, "They give medications to babies for money and put them to sleep. They do not spare any torture in the incubators. When I watched these news on television, the first thing that came to my mind was my baby Erdal. For example, Nurse Çağla says, 'She screams like an animal' when the baby cries in pain. My baby Erdal was crying a lot just one day before he died at Gebze Yüzyıl Hospital. When I told the doctor, 'My baby is crying a lot, I can't stand it,' he said to me, 'Her crying is good, she is responding to the medications.' The child was crying because she was in pain. This level of inhumanity is unacceptable. After I took my baby Cemre from there, other babies also died. I couldn't make my voice heard. I believe this hospital is also part of this organization. There are many hospitals from Darıca to Bağcılar. I want an investigation. They tortured my 4 children; they should pay the price, and the hospital should be closed," she stated.

THE FAMILY'S LAWYER: WE ALSO HAVE OUR VICTIMIZATION IN THE FILE

Lawyer Tayfun Budak, who explained the process, said, "There have been serious developments since last year, but there has been no progress at the Ministry level. The Ministry did not respond to our complaint made to the Gebze Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. We wrote reminder letters. However, there is still no response. We also have our victimization in the file that is on the agenda as the newborn gang. Our baby Cemre has been subjected to negligence at the hands of this gang. For this reason, she cannot see out of her left eye. It is evident from the evaluation in the indictment and the conversations between individuals that baby Cemre has been neglected and lost her eye. We will send our petition stating that we are victims in that file. In response, we will also be there and demand our rights. We want the defendants to be punished, to receive the heaviest sentences, and for the hospitals to be closed," he said.