Court ruling in high-profile femicide case faces backlash

MUĞLA

The murderer of university student Pınar Gültekin, Cemal Metin Avcı has been served with a reduced prison sentence of 23 years on the grounds of “unjust provocation” on June 20.

The 13th hearing of the case was held at the Muğla 3rd High Criminal Court.

Avcı stated that he was remorseful and said that he committed the murder alone.

Defending that he has a clean past and does not have a criminal record, Avcı requested from the court that “justice will be done right.”

He was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment. His sentence was then reduced to 23 years due to “unjust provocation.”

The court acquitted his brother Mertcan Avcı, his parents Ayten Avcı and Selim Avcı, his ex-wife Karagün, and his partner Gökhan Orhan.

“Justice has died here today. We will go to the Supreme Court. We will immediately appeal this decision which is a complete legal monstrosity,” said the victim’s family’s lawyer Rezan Epözdemir.

“There is no justice in Türkiye. It is dead,” said Pınar Gültekin’s father, Sıddık Gültekin.

“I leave the given punishment to the conscience of the public. Would a 23-year sentence be given to someone who burns a university student alive? I rebel now, my rebellion will be so great that it will be talked about by everyone for ten years,” he added.

“This is not right, justice, nor law. We absolutely do not accept this punishment,” said Şefika Gültekin, mother of Pınar Gültekin.

“This woman was not killed once, but when she was alive by being burned, strangled and beaten. Then she was killed by striking at her morals and honor. We are also killed after our trials. This is enough,” said Canan Güllü from the Federation of Women’s Associations of Türkiye.

Pınar Gültekin, a 27-year-old student went missing in Türkiye’s southwestern Aegean province of Muğla on July 16, 2020.

Gültekin had disappeared after leaving her home.

Five days later her ex-boyfriend Cemal Metin Avcı had confessed that he had strangled her to death before burning her body and dumping it in a forest, after mounting evidence against him.

The report from the Forensic Medicine Institute had revealed that Pınar Gültekin was burned alive.

Avcı was arrested on charges of “deliberately killing with monstrous feeling or causing torment.”

The prosecutors had asked Avcı to serve aggravated life imprisonment and his brother Mertcan Avcı to be charged with aggravated life imprisonment for aiding and abetting Avcı.

The prosecutors had also asked for his mother and father, Ayten Avcı and Selim Avcı to face up to five years in prison for helping to cover up his tracks, and concealing evidence of the crime.