Turkish court has released on Tuesday its detailed reasoning for convicting three defendants over the twin bombings in the southern border town of Reyhanlı that killed 53 people in 2013, describing the attack as an operation directed by intelligence elements linked to the Bashar Assad regime.
In its written ruling, Ankara's 9th High Criminal Court outlined the planning, financing and execution of the May 11, 2013, attack, one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in modern Turkish history.
The court said evidence presented during the trial showed that instructions for the attack were received directly from Syrian intelligence-linked operatives and were carried out with the involvement of members of the THKP-C/Acilciler militant group.
According to the ruling, the group expanded its activities near the Turkish border during the Syrian civil war and operated in coordination with pro-Assad militia groups in Syria's Latakia region. The court said the group later focused on planning attacks in Türkiye, particularly in Hatay province.
The decision identified three defendants, Memet Gezer, Temir Dükancı and Cengiz Sertel, as key participants in the procurement, transportation and financing of explosives used in the attack.
Judges said the explosives were smuggled from Syria into Türkiye through five separate maritime shipments using fishing boats. The materials were allegedly concealed in sacks and transported under the supervision of individuals linked to Syrian intelligence under Bashar Assad.
The court found that the defendants acted in coordination with Syrian intelligence operatives and played central roles in preparing the attack. Testimony and evidence presented during the proceedings indicated that those involved were promised large sums of money in exchange for carrying out logistical and operational tasks.
The explosions killed 53 people, including five children, and caused extensive damage to the town. Court records showed that 912 homes, 891 businesses and 148 vehicles were damaged in the blasts.
The court sentenced Gezer, Dükancı and Sertel to 53 aggravated life sentences each one for attempting to undermine the unity and integrity of the Turkish state and 52 separate sentences for murder. The defendants were also handed additional prison terms totaling 3,921 years for other offenses.
