One Year after Murders in Turkey, One Man Blamed

MALATYA, Turkey, April 17 (Compass Direct News) – On the eve of the one-year mark of the slaughter of three Christians here, the impartiality of the judges in the case is in doubt, and the young men on trial have now shifted the blame to one man. Accused killers Cuma Ozdemir, Abuzer Yildirim and Salih Gurler had been caught at the scene of the crime on April 18, 2007, butcher knives in their hands and the blood of the victims on their clothing.

But like Hamit Ceker, the first suspect to testify in January, the three suspects declared at the fifth hearing on Monday (April 14) that they had not participated in the actual killings of Turkish Christians Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel and German Christian Tilmann Geske. Instead, in Malatya Third Criminal Court they claimed it was Emre Gunaydin, the fifth culprit and alleged ringleader of the attack, who personally tortured and then slit the throats of the three Christians.

In their statements before a packed courtroom, the three said Gunaydin had deceived them, telling them his plan was just to infiltrate and intimidate these “Christian missionaries” whom he claimed were trying to divide Turkey and destroy Islam.

Although the next trial date is set for May 12, the plaintiffs’ legal appeal against the Diyarbakir court’s refusal to remove the current panel of judges could delay the hearing until a later date.

A nationwide memorial service commemorating the three Malatya martyrs on the first anniversary of their deaths will be held on Sunday afternoon (April 20) at Istanbul’s St. Esprit Cathedral.

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