43rd Hearing of the Yenidoğan Çetesi Case Completed: Defendants Demand Release

The 43rd hearing of the case, known as the 'Yenidoğan çetesi', which deeply shook the public conscience in İstanbul, was held at the Bakırköy 22. Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi. In the case, a total of 62 defendants, 10 of whom are detained, including doctors, nurses, and private hospital workers, are being tried. It is alleged that the defendants referred newborns and premature babies applying to emergency rooms to private hospitals they had prior agreements with, even though it was not medically necessary. It is stated that the gang, which is claimed to have obtained unjust profits through these illegal agreements, unfortunately, also caused the deaths of many babies. The ongoing hearings continue to shed light on this complex and tragic event that has occupied the Turkey agenda for months.

Defendant Dr. Ali Dirik, who made a defense at the hearing, stated that he has been a physician for 24 years, emphasizing his professional background. Dirik, who stated that he was branded as a 'baby killer' and that this situation upset him deeply, claimed that 17 different hospitals were contacted in the case of the deceased baby 'Kaya'. Arguing that baby Kaya was already in a condition where survival was impossible, Dirik claimed his responsibility in this incident was exaggerated. The defendant, who stated that he has been practicing his profession for many years and has encountered numerous cases of preeclampsia, objected to the continuation of his detention and demanded his release.

Detained nurse Çağla Durmuş, on the other hand, attended the hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) and presented her defense. Durmuş claimed that because she held the position of a charge nurse during her employment, she was not directly involved in patient care and had no personal negligence. She attempted to shift the blame, stating that a baby's treatment process and monitoring were the responsibility of whichever colleague the child was handed over to. The detained defendant, who denied the accusations against her, requested her release, citing the prolongation of the trial process. These defenses once again brought to the forefront the doubts and the debates regarding the division of responsibilities among those involved in the course of the case.

Another detained defendant, Gıyasettin Mert Özdemir, also presented his defense, stating that he had been in prison for 28 months and was being tried with the title of 'organization leader'. Firmly rejecting the accusation of being an organization leader, Özdemir claimed they possessed audio recordings (tape) that would refute this claim. He demanded his acquittal and release, arguing that he was not even a part of the organization, and therefore, it was impossible for him to be in a leadership position. The non-detained defendants present at the hearing also requested the lifting of their judicial control measures at this stage of the trial. The defendants and their lawyers requested the court panel to issue an acquittal verdict, citing the insufficiency of the evidence.

The heavily attended hearing, with numerous defendants and their lawyers present, proceeded with the process of taking defenses and evaluating statements. The court panel postponed the hearing to a later date due to the size of the case file and the fact that the statements of the defense lawyers had not yet been fully obtained. The panel scheduled the next session for Monday, 13 Temmuz, to complete the missing aspects and allow the lawyers to speak. While this postponement decision further extends the conclusion of the eagerly awaited judicial process, it also delayed the expectations for justice from the victim families and the public. At the new hearing scheduled for July, critical decisions determining the fate of the defendants are expected to be made.