Dedeoğulları family massacre: Three more people released

Seven people from the Dedeoğulları family were murdered in their house by Mehmet Altun on 30 July in Konya. Among the dead were 4 women.

Following the massacre, Mehmet Altun and 12 people from the Keleş and Çalık family, known as the instigators of the massacre, were arrested. 8 people were released by court decision.

Only two people remained in jail

As a result of the appeal by those arrested, the court decided to release Ayşe Keleş, brother of killed Mehmet Altun, her husband Lütfi and their son Ali Keleş.

Following the latest releases, only two people Mehmet Altun and his nephew Ibrahim Keleş remained in prison. A total of 11 people were released before the first hearing of the case was held.

The first hearing has been scheduled at the Konya 4th High Criminal Court on 14 December.

Background

7 people, including 4 women, from the Dedeoğulları family living in Hasanköy in Meram (Konya) were murdered in their house by Mehmet Altun on 30 July. After the massacre, 14 people were detained by order of the Konya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. 10 of them were remanded in custody. With the arrest of the perpetrator Mehmet Altun on 5 August, the number of detainees increased to 11. The total number of detainees within the scope of the file increased to 13 with the arrest warrant issued on 7 October for 2 more people who were in prison due to the racist attack on the Dedeoğulları family, originally from Kars, on 12 May.

In the indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and submitted to the Konya 4th High Criminal Court, the killer was sentenced to 7 life imprisonment on the charge of “deliberately killing 7 people”. A further 1 to 3 years were asked for the crime of “violating the residence of people”. Altun also faced up to 8 years for the crime of “damaging property by burning”.

Other perpetrators arrested as part of the investigation Yahya Çalık, İbrahim Keleş, Ramazan Çalık, Ali Çalık, Lütfi Keleş, Ali Keleş (Lütfi Keleş’s son), Veli Keleş, Ali Keleş (Veli Keleş’s son), Ayşe Keleş and Ali Keleş (Harun Keleş’s son) were asked to be sentenced to 7 life imprisonment for “instigating the killing of 7 people ” and up to 8 years in prison each for “instigating damage to property by burning”. İbrahim’s mother, İsmahan Altun, was released on the grounds that ‘the strong suspicion of crime has disappeared’.

In addition, on 3 November, the court decided to release Veli Keleş, Ramazan Çalık, Yahya Çalık, Ali Çalık and Ali Keleş from the Keleş and Çalık families, who were on trial as the instigators of the massacre, on condition of judicial control.