An investigation has been launched into Ayşe Ateş, the widow of slain former Grey Wolves leader Sinan Ateş, following a complaint filed by two lawmakers from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s far-right ally, the Haberler.com news website reported on Tuesday.
Sinan Ateş, also a former academic, was assassinated in Ankara on December 30, 2022. His murder has been linked to internal power struggles within Turkey’s nationalist movements.
Ayşe Ateş has been actively seeking justice for her husband. The widow has previously expressed concern over the influence of political figures, specifically MHP executives, in hindering the investigation and the prosecution of those involved in the murder.
The complaint against Ayşe Ateş was filed by İzzet Ulvi Yönter and Semih Yalçın, both MHP İstanbul MPs whom she accused of orchestrating the murder of her husband, during a hearing in the high-profile trial concerning the assassination last month.
Ateş on Tuesday announced on X that a prosecutor summoned her to testify because Yönter and Yalçın had filed a criminal complaint against her for slandering them.
“… The court should have taken into consideration the statements we made as the family of Sinan Ateş, and the individuals who should have testified and cleared their names were supposed to be İzzet Ulvi and Semih,” the widow said.
İzzet Ulvi ve Semih isimli şahıslar kendilerine iftira attığım gerekçesiyle hakkımda suç duyurusunda bulunmuşlar. İfade vermeye gitmem gerekecekmiş. Oysaki duruşmada Sinan Ateş'in ailesi sıfatıyla verdiğimiz beyanların mahkeme heyeti tarafından dikkate alınması ve ifade vermesi,… pic.twitter.com/j4FValwX4I
— Ayşe Ateş (@ayseatesaa) August 6, 2024
Lawyers for the Ateş family have criticized the indictment for not addressing the alleged masterminds or the motive behind the assassination, focusing instead on those directly involved in the execution of the crime.
The lawyers’ criticism of the indictment highlights a broader accusation of government interference and a possible coverup, suggesting that the indictment was intentionally stripped of details to protect certain political figures.
The trial continues to unfold amid significant public and political interest, given the suspects’ affiliations and the historical importance of the Grey Wolves, the unofficial paramilitary wing of the MHP. Observers are closely watching for further revelations and the court’s handling of these explosive allegations.
The ideology of the Grey Wolves is mainly based on Turkish nationalism. Therefore, Kurds, Armenians and other minorities in Turkey have occasionally been their targets.
In 2020 France officially banned the Grey Wolves after a center dedicated to the memory of those who died in the mass killings of Armenians during World War I was defaced with graffiti, including the name of the Grey Wolves.
Since then, the German government has faced an intensified public campaign in favor of banning the Turkish nationalist group.
In 2021 the European Parliament called on the European Union and its member states to examine the possibility of adding the Grey Wolves to the EU terrorist list.
In its 2019-2020 report prepared by Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor, the EP voiced concerns about the group, saying it was expanding to worrying levels not only in Turkey but also in EU countries.