On August 3rd of last year, in Çiftlikköy Mahallesi, a neighborhood belonging to Yenişehir district, a tragic incident unfolded. A heated argument erupted between Ziya Ecer and Pınar Bayrak, who lived together in a religious marriage and were parents to three children, the eldest being 7 years old. As the argument escalated, Ecer ended up striking Bayrak. In a state of unconsciousness and covered in blood, Pınar Bayrak was rushed to the Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital by Ziya Ecer and his friend A.E. (32). Despite the doctors’ best efforts, Pınar Bayrak could not be saved. Following the incident, Ecer and his friends A.E., N.B. (22), Ö.B. (25), and R.B. (28), who were accused of tampering with evidence at the house, were taken into custody. Ecer was arrested after questioning at the police station, while the others were released under judicial supervision.
A case file was prepared by the Mersin Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the suspects. The indictment requested that the detained suspect Ziya Ecer be tried for ‘intentional homicide against a woman,’ while the released suspects were to be prosecuted for ‘destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime.’ The indictment was approved by the Mersin 7th Heavy Penal Court. The trial of the case took place today at the Mersin 7th Heavy Penal Court. The incarcerated defendant Ecer, the released defendants, their lawyers, and the relatives of the victim were present in the courtroom. During the trial, the public prosecutor presented his closing arguments. The prosecutor requested an aggravated life sentence for the detained defendant Ziya Ecer for ‘intentional homicide against a woman.’ As for the released defendants A.E., N.B., and Ö.B., the prosecutor demanded punishment for ‘destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime,’ while requesting acquittal for the other released defendant R.B. When given the chance to respond to the prosecutor’s arguments, the defendant Ecer stated, “I’m usually a pretty calm and positive person. No one really wants to find themselves in this situation. When I lay my head down in the cell, my wife and children come to mind. I’m not a bad person. I never had any intention of killing my wife.” Following a request for more time by the defense lawyers, the trial was adjourned.
