Turkey reopens investigations into unsolved murder cases

Authorities in Turkey are revisiting several cold case murder investigations following the establishment of the Unsolved Crimes Research Department under the Ministry of Justice.

In Ankara's Kızılcahamam district, police have detained Halil Can Çelik in connection with the 2018 death of Emrah Daşdemir. Daşdemir's body was discovered in a water tank in September 2018, having been shot with a shotgun. While Çelik was previously released due to insufficient evidence, new analysis of HTS records and social media communications has identified him as a primary suspect.

In a separate case in Istanbul's Sultangazi district, the family of Ahmet Emre Çavuş is seeking justice for their son, who died after being paralyzed by a gunshot wound in 2015. Although a defendant was previously acquitted due to lack of evidence, the family is appealing the decision and expressing hope that the new focus on unsolved crimes by the Ministry of Justice will lead to the identification of the true perpetrator.