Prominent lawyer detained in operation against 'Süleymancılar' group, reviving Aladağ fire case

An operation targeting the organization known as "Süleymancılar" has led to the detention of 37 individuals out of 49 arrest warrants issued across 17 provinces. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is overseeing the investigation into the group.

A notable figure detained is Prof. Dr. Ahmet Gökçen, a former member of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) and a lecturer at Marmara University's Faculty of Law. Gökçen previously served as the lawyer for the dormitory administrators in the case stemming from the 2016 Aladağ dormitory fire, which claimed the lives of 11 children and injured many others.

Gökçen's arrest has reignited public attention on the Aladağ tragedy. The 2016 fire at the girls' dormitory, reportedly affiliated with the Süleymancılar, led to convictions of dormitory administrators. Families of the victims and their legal representatives had called for investigations into the oversight responsibilities of public institutions, not just the administrators.

The case also draws a stark contrast between the legal paths of two lawyers involved in the Aladağ case. Can Atalay, who represented the families of the children who died, was elected as a member of parliament for Hatay with the Workers' Party of Turkey. Despite Constitutional Court decisions on human rights violations, Atalay has not been released and his parliamentary status was revoked on January 30, 2024. Meanwhile, Ahmet Gökçen, the lawyer for the defendants, was detained in the current operation against the Süleymancılar.