ISTANBUL – The Istanbul Regional Court of Justice has partially overturned the verdict in the high-profile trial of Yunus Emre Geçti, who was convicted of murdering police officer Şeyda Yılmaz. The court upheld the defendant's aggravated life sentence but ruled that he must also be tried for an additional separate crime within the same case file.
The incident occurred on September 22, 2024, in Ümraniye. Yunus Emre Geçti, who had been detained for motorcycle theft, managed to escape from the Dudullu Şehit İsmail Akkoyun Police Center. While fleeing, he was pursued by police officers K.H.S. and Şeyda Yılmaz. A physical altercation ensued, during which Geçti seized Officer K.H.S.'s service weapon.
Geçti then opened fire at close range, injuring K.H.S. He continued shooting, targeting Officer Yılmaz, who had taken cover behind a barrel. Yılmaz was fatally shot in the head and succumbed to her injuries despite all medical efforts. Geçti's mother, Pınar Geçti, was also injured by a stray bullet during the shootout.
Following an investigation, the Anadolu 26th High Criminal Court sentenced Geçti on January 8 to aggravated life imprisonment for the "intentional killing of a public official on duty." He received an additional 20 years for the "attempted intentional killing of another public official" (K.H.S.), 3 years for the "injury of his mother with possible intent," and 3 years and 9 months for "resisting to prevent duty performance."
The court also ruled that the Anadolu Republic Prosecutor's Office should file a separate criminal complaint against Geçti for "qualified robbery at night" for forcibly taking the police officer's weapon during the struggle.
Appeal Court's Decision
The case was appealed to the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice 1st Criminal Chamber. The appellate court has now completed its review.
In its decision, the chamber found no legal irregularities in the local court's procedures or merits of the case. It ruled that the evaluation of evidence was sound, the classification of the acts was correct, and the penalties given were appropriate. Therefore, it rejected the appeals regarding these sentences.
However, the appellate court partially overturned the verdict on a procedural matter. It ruled that a public lawsuit must be filed for the separate "qualified robbery at night" charge and that this new case file must be merged with the main trial file.
What Happens Next?
The case file has been sent back to the Anadolu 26th High Criminal Court. The lower court is now instructed to follow the appellate court's ruling. This means:
A lawsuit will be formally opened regarding the "qualified robbery" allegation.
This new charge will be merged with the existing case file.
The court will hold hearings to consider this additional charge, collect evidence, and hear arguments from both the defense and the prosecution.
A new, comprehensive verdict will be issued, which may include an additional penalty for the robbery charge.
The defendant, Yunus Emre Geçti, remains in custody. He is expected to appear before the judge again on September 25 for the next phase of the proceedings. The final verdict from the local court can be appealed once more to the regional court and eventually to the Court of Cassation.
This partial overturn is a procedural step in the comprehensive legal process and does not reduce the existing sentences handed down to the defendant.
