Serkan Kurtuluş, wanted on 33 charges, brought to Istanbul and remanded by Izmir court

Serkan Kurtuluş, an organized crime leader wanted on Interpol's red notice for 33 separate charges including premeditated murder and forming a criminal organization, has been brought to Istanbul after a lengthy extradition process and remanded in custody by a decision of Izmir 3rd Heavy Penal Court. Anadolu Agency reported the news.

The indictment against Kurtuluş was prepared by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in 2017 and accepted by Izmir 3rd Heavy Penal Court. After being brought to Turkey, Kurtuluş gave his initial statement through the Audio-Visual Information System (SEGBİS). In his statement, Kurtuluş claimed that he had been living abroad for approximately 10 years, contended that he was unaware of the charges, and noted that he remained in custody for 6 years and 2 months in Argentina and 8 months in Georgia within the scope of this case.

In his defense, Kurtuluş argued that under Turkish criminal law the period of pretrial detention cannot exceed 5 years, and he requested that the 7 years of detention spent abroad be credited toward this limit and that he be tried without detention. The public prosecutor requested the continuation of detention, citing the current state of evidence and the nature of the charges; the court ruled to keep him in custody.

The charges against Kurtuluş include premeditated and intentional murder, forming and managing a criminal organization, threats, aggravated robbery, and unlawfully possessing dangerous materials. The extradition process, ongoing since his arrest in Argentina in 2020, has now exceeded four years.