Turkey’s Top Court Upholds Sentences, Overturns Acquittals in Halil Falyalı Murder Case
Turkey’s Court of Cassation has upheld prison sentences handed down to several defendants in the case concerning the killing of businessman Halil Falyalı and his driver Murat Demirtaş, while overturning acquittals issued for two other defendants due to procedural shortcomings.
In a ruling by the 1st Criminal Chamber dated 6 November 2025, the court found the convictions of Mustafa Söylemez, Abdurrahim Çelik, Cengiz Şener and Ender Yıldız to be in accordance with the law. The court ordered the continuation of their detention and rejected requests for release.
Mustafa Söylemez had previously been sentenced to two life terms for the premeditated killing of two victims. Abdurrahim Çelik, Cengiz Şener and Ender Yıldız were each sentenced to two terms of 12 years and six months’ imprisonment for aiding the murders. The Court of Cassation rejected the appeals on the merits and upheld these sentences.
The court corrected an error in the application of repeat-offender provisions in respect of Cengiz Şener, amending the enforcement regime before upholding the verdict.
Acquittals Overturned Over Incomplete Review
By contrast, the Court of Cassation overturned the acquittals of Mehmet Faysal Söylemez and Metin Süs, citing an incomplete examination of evidence.
At a hearing on 19 January 2024, the trial court had acquitted and released Mehmet Faysal Söylemez on charges of orchestrating the premeditated killing of two people and leading a criminal organisation, ruling that the offences had not been proven.
However, the high court found it unlawful to rule without first obtaining and reviewing the files and final judgments from related proceedings before the Kyrenia Assize Court in the TRNC. As a result, the verdicts were quashed and the case was referred back to the Istanbul 36th Heavy Penal Court for retrial.
Second Branch of the Case to Proceed in Kyrenia
In a related development, the second branch of the assassination case is set to proceed before the Kyrenia Assize Court, where suspect Musa Çiçek will stand trial. Evidence presented during earlier proceedings in Istanbul between 2022 and 2024—including audio recordings and video files containing WhatsApp messages—is expected to be examined when hearings begin on 19 January 2025.
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