US court postpones hearings of suspects involved in hit-and-run accident in Istanbul

NEW YORK

A US court decided Tuesday to postpone the hearings of two suspects involved in a hit-and-run accident in Istanbul, Türkiye.

On June 14, Eylem Tok and her son Timur Cihantimur were detained by US authorities upon the request of Türkiye. They appeared in a court in Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Chief Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell postponed the hearing of Cihantimur, who appeared in court wearing beige prisoner overalls and was brought to the courthouse by two security guards, until June 20.

The lawyer for 17-year-old Cihantimur, who appeared before the court on charges of “involuntary manslaughter and injury,” asked the court to change his client’s place of detention because he was not satisfied with the conditions at the juvenile detention center where he was being held.

While Judge Cabell ruled for Cihantimur to remain detained until the second hearing, there was no further information about any change in his place of detention.

Cihantimur’s lawyer also argued that his client needs to stay in the US to continue his education because he is an American citizen as a reason to reject an extradition request by Türkiye.

Unlike his mother, Cihantimur was not wearing handcuffs when leaving the courthouse as he is under the age of 18.

Tok, who first appeared before the judge in the morning and whose hearing was postponed to June 27, was brought to the court in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.

Türkiye requested Tok’s extradition from the US on charges of “harboring or concealing persons.”

On March 1, three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were travelling in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district when one of them broke down. Cihantimur, who was driving his parents’ SUV without a license, crashed into the three ATVs, injuring five people. One of them, Oguz Murat Aci, later succumbed to his injuries.

Cihantimur left the scene of the accident with his mother in her vehicle and travelled to Egypt and then to the US.

Temporary arrest request documents for their extradition were forwarded to US authorities by Türkiye’s Justice Ministry.

• Extradition
• Eylem Tok
• hearings
• hit-and-run
• Judge
• Timur Cihantimur
• Turkiye
• US court