Alparslan Celik may face trial over complicity in Russian pilot murder

The lawyer of Alparslan Celik, the alleged killer of Russian Su-24 bomber’s pilot in Syria last November, has not ruled out on Monday that the prosecutor’s office may initiate two trials against Celik who has recently been detained in Izmir. The lawyer, Murat Ustundag, told that one indictment would be over the violation of the weapons law and the second may be prepared over the Russian pilot murder case, TASS reports.

"The trial over the pilot’s murder may be initiated if the prosecutor’s office considers the evidence it has sufficient for the criminal case opening. However, no decision [on this case opening] has been made at this point. If the prosecutor’s office deems it necessary, it will initiate two trials against Celik," the lawyer said.

Ustundag added that "the prosecutor’s office has not prepared the bill indictment at the moment." "The court hearing date has not been determined yet. The prosecutor’s office has not prepared a bill of indictment yet. I think that this will take another week," the lawyer said.

Celik and another 14 suspects were detained at a restaurant in the Turkish city of Izmir on March 30. The police confiscated from them several unregistered assault rifles, a hunting rifle and pistols. Some of the detained have reportedly returned from Syria where they fought for Islamists.