The Susurluk car crash was a car crash that took place on 3 November 1996 in the small town of Susurluk, in Turkey's Balñkesir Province. It resulted in the deaths of three of the passengers: Abdullah ÃÂatlñ, a former ultra-rightist militant wanted by police for multiple murders and drug trafficking; Huseyin KocadaÃÂ, a senior police official; and beauty queen and ÃÂatlñ's girlfriend Gonca Us. Sedat Bucak, an MP, suffered a broken leg and fractured skull but survived the accident. The Susurluk crash was a key event in the unravelling of the deep state in Turkey. The peculiar associations of the crash victims and their links with Interior Minister Mehmet AÃÂar led to a number of investigations, including a parliamentary investigation, of what became known as the Susurluk scandal.
Prior to the crash, all the victims, plus Interior Minister Mehmet AÃÂar, had been staying at the Onura Hotel in Kuà Âadasñ. The assassination plan called for AÃÂar to be killed too. However, he was warned by Sami Hoà Âtan, so he remained at the hotel and told the rest to leave without him.
Former MHP deputy Kubilay Uygun said that he was introduced to Abdullah ÃÂatlñ and Hüseyin Kocadaàthree days before the accident by a since-retired lieutenant general. Uygun says that he too has worked for the "deep state".
The Prosecutor's Report said that the passengers in the car were on their way to stage an assassination.
A Mercedes 600 SEL owned by Bucak crashed into a truck near ÃÂatalceviz, Susurluk in the Balñkesir province in Turkey. The crash took place on 3 November 1996 at around 19:25 TR&. The car was travelling at nearly .
Abdullah ÃÂatlñ, a former ultra-rightist militant wanted by police for multiple murders and drug trafficking; Huseyin KocadaÃÂ, a senior police official; and beauty queen Gonca Us (ÃÂatlñ's girlfriend) were killed in the crash. KocadaÃÂ, ÃÂatlñ, and Us died, either immediately, or soon afterwards. Bucak escaped with a broken leg and fractured skull.
According to an anonymous witness in the 2007 Ergenekon investigation, everyone initially survived the crash, which was precipitated by remotely disabling the brakes of the Mercedes. A three-person team came and snapped the necks of Us and ÃÂatlñ. Bucak was rescued by his guards, who also took his bag from the boot (trunk) and called Grey Wolf Haluk Kñrcñ. One of the first people to visit the site was mafia king Ali Yasak, better known as "Drej Ali", who took ÃÂatlñ's bag from the car, according to Tuncay Güney. Veli Küçük refutes Güney's allegation that Yasak acted on his orders. A prosecutor from Ilgin made similar allegations during 2008.
Alleged drug baron Sami Hoà Âtan said that Bucak's guards were Ercan Ersoy and Ali Fevzi Bir (a.k.a. "Aliço"). The guards called Hoà Âtan, who then called Bucak's friend Abdülgani Gñzñlkaya, and Veli Küçük, allegedly because the accident occurred in his Gendarmerie's precinct. Driving to the scene of the accident, Hoà Âtan saw Drej Ali. Hoà Âtan said that Mehmet Eymür called while he, ÃÂatlñ, and Bucak were driving together, before the accident. Eymür asked ÃÂatlñ about the murder of MðT spy Tarñk ÃÂmit. Eymür reportedly told ÃÂmit's daughter, Hande Birinci, that her father worked with Korkut Eken (an adviser to AÃÂar) on the side and that he was assassinated by AÃÂar's men after he became disgusted by their corruption.
Evidence seized at the crash site indicated that ÃÂatlñ had been carrying:
The truck driver, Hasan Gökçe, was held responsible for the accident and sentenced to three years in jail. He was bailed for 6.42 million TL. His truck (a 1968 Ford) was foreclosed after he failed to pay his taxes.
The revelation of the connections between the victims led to multiple investigations of what became known as the Susurluk scandal.