The hearing of the case regarding the “Return to Life Operation,” which took place in Bayrampaşa Prison in 2000 and resulted in the deaths of 12 prisoners, was held at the 13th High Criminal Court in Bakırköy. No verdict was issued in the trial, where 194 soldiers stood as defendants. The court adjourned the hearing to 17 November.

Witnesses Serdar Karacelik and Filiz Gencer, who were imprisoned at the time, attended the hearing via SEGBIS (Audio and Video Information System). Karacelik testified that Murat Ordekci, one of the prisoners killed during the operation, was deliberately shot and that the weapon used was not a G3 rifle. Filiz Gencer stated that six women were burned alive.

İclal Şirin, the sister of Murat Ordekci, emphasized that her brother had been tortured in an attempt to erase the bullet marks on his body and declared that the state is responsible for the killing of a person under its protection. The court accepted her request to participate in the case as an intervening party.

Lawyer Several Balkaya requested that retired Major Zeki Bingol, who was involved in the operation’s planning at the time, be summoned to court to give testimony. Bingol is reported to have stated that a non-inventory weapon was used during the operation, and that the plan was carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the police, and the gendarmerie.

The defense attorneys for the accused demanded that the case be dismissed on the grounds of the statute of limitations. However, the court postponed the hearing to 17 November to allow for the completion of defense statements.