Regarding the investigation into the death of former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu in prison, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek said, "Kaşif Kozinoğlu was one of the exceptional names raised by our state and an important civil servant. Unfortunately, while he was being detained within the scope of the Ergenekon conspiracy at that time, he lost his life suspiciously despite being a healthy person, doing sports and taking care of himself." made his assessment.
Gürlek stated that the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took into account the previous complaints and denunciations regarding the issue and launched an investigation, and noted that some judicial proceedings were carried out upon the important statements of a former prison staff member who was a fugitive abroad and had a judicial process regarding his FETO connection.
Minister Gürlek explained that if new evidence emerges in the later stages of the investigation, new procedures may be brought to the agenda, and the relevant chief public prosecutor's office will decide on this according to the state of evidence.
Pointing out that this incident, like every suspicious death, is being investigated in all its aspects, Gürlek emphasized that the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Department works within the framework of information and coordination with the relevant Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and that the direction of the investigation and judicial decisions are under the authority of the relevant judicial authorities.
Noting that he thinks the picture will emerge more clearly in the future, Gürlek said, "Explorer Kozinoğlu was an exceptional name raised by the state. Assessments that he may have been made a target of the organization are also being examined in the file. He died in prison. There are debates about the exact cause of his death. Poisoning, heart attack, the effect of a drug or natural death? All of these are being examined with scientific and forensic data." he said.
Akın Gürlek pointed out that the message they gave to their colleagues was not about the direction of the investigations and said:
"We say that they should not be afraid of a name, position or title while performing their duties in accordance with the law. Sometimes, when a colleague starts an investigation, 'What happens if I step on the toes of an important person two days later? Will we have problems if we go to an influential name from here?' You may experience anxiety in the form of: What we say is this: 'No matter where it leads, no matter who it turns out to be, close the name on the cover of the file and look at the evidence inside. Make your decision based solely on the law and the evidence.”
Emphasizing that the approach here is not to show the direction of an investigation, but to ensure that the prosecutor can fulfill his duty in accordance with the law without feeling any pressure or hesitation, Gürlek said, "The names, titles, positions or duties of people are not important. This is how the prosecutor's office is done anyway. The will we want to strengthen is the will to act according to the evidence and the law, not according to the person. We do not have the authority to intervene in the investigations. We have absolutely no such intention." shared his knowledge.
