Altinbas Hearing Postponed to Jan. 27

Defendant Suleyman Sinkil attended a hearing for the first time in the case about the murder of Birtan Altinbas in police custody in 1991. Sinkil told the court that only he and fellow police officer Bastan were present during the questioning of Altinbas.

Tolga Korkut

The December 23 hearing of the Birtan Altinbas murder case has been postponed to January 27, 2006 as the court awaits defendant Ahmet Bastan's file from the Supreme Court of Appeals.

University student Birtan Altinbas was killed while in police detention on January 15, 1991. Defendant Suleyman Sinkil, who was not present at the previous hearing, attended the December 23 hearing of the trial held in an Ankara High Criminal Court.

Lawyer Oya Aydin, who spoke to Bianet, said Sinkil acknowledged the text he sent to court earlier and admitted that he questioned Birtan Altinbas together with Ahmet Bastan. Sinkil said that Altinbas started banging himself on the walls, adding that they had to use force when Altinbas attacked him and Bastan, according to Aydin.

Aydin said the text had been professionally prepared with the aim of protecting the rest of the defendants. She said they asked the court not to take the text into consideration. (TK/AD/EA/YE)

Tolga Korkut