"Beat & Release": After Shooting and Beating Friend, They're Released from Jail Twice Due to "Unjust Provocations", in Sivas

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 December 2023)

          One potato, two potato, three potato...ouch!

Mesut Özer (32), Ruşen Yıldız (45) and İsmail Akın (31), who all live in

Istanbul, went to Çınarlı village in Sivas for a vacation on 20 May.  Due

to a matter pertaining to the rental of a potato field, Özer fell out with the

other two and cursed them in front of their house, firing a revolver, as

well, as he left.

Yıldız and Akın phoned  Özer that night and asked him to come to their

house for a chat (!).   He came, but an argument soon erupted and Yıldız

head-butted Özer, while Akın pulled a gun from his jacket and shot Özer

in the back twice.  After Özer fell to the ground, the other two beat him

for a good while.  Following a week in intensive care, Özer was released 

from the hospital.

Suspects Yıldız and Akın fled after the incident but surrendered to police

on 4 August and were jailed.  A trial began with the charge of  "intent to

murder" but, based on mediation by their lawyers, Yıldız and Akın were

released on 12 August (!).   The public prosecutor objected to their 

release and they were re-arrested.  

They faced a judge for the third time and asserted that the incident 

occurred after Özer had opened fire in front of their house and cursed at

them so, based on these "unjust provocations", Yıldız and Akın asked

that they be released again, pending the continuation of the trial.  In

response, the court opined that the charges might change and in light

of the "unjust provocations", Yıldız and Akın were released again (!).

The trial was postponed until missing documents are found. 

Çınarlı village is in Sivas's Hafik district.