* Photo credit: Anıl Bağrık / AA
3 top suspects have arrested within the murder investigation of Özgecan Aslan, a 20 year old university major in the southern district of Mersin.
Suphi A., top suspect of the case, pleaded guilty of killing Aslan and admitted that Necmittin A. and Fatih G. helped him burn the body. Arrested, the suspects are being sought for previous crimes.
On the other hand, testimonies of suspects have delayed as advocates affiliated with Mersin Bar Association refused to defend the three individuals according to provincial gendarmerie authorities. The defense attorneys were found after Mersin Bar Association Chairman Alpay Antmen made an intervention.
Testifying to gendarmerie authorities, suspects have been transferred to a vacation court early this morning. The court ruled the arrest of suspects who have been transferred to different prisons due to security reasons.
What happened?
Özgecan Aslan (20), a psychology major at Çağ University, has disappeared on February 11 in the southeastern district of Tarsus, Mersin.
On February 13, her body was found. It turned out that she was killed and burnt by a minibus driver.
Police detained Suphi A. for allegedly murdering Özgecan and Necmettin A. and Fatih G. for aiding the burning of the body.
In yesterday’s funeral in Mersin, Özgecan Aslan’s body was carried by women - a custom generally practised by men in Islamic tradition.
According to bianet’s tally, men killed 26 women in 14 province across Turkey. Along with these 26 women, 7 women in 6 cities were found dead by being beaten, strangled or stabbed. No suspects have been found in these cases. (AS/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.