Background
Necip Hablemitoğlu was a historian and academic at Ankara University. His research focused in particular on the activities of foreign foundations and civil-society organisations in Turkey, as well as on how certain religious and political networks operate. He became a well-known public figure for his writing and talks on these subjects, and relatives said he had been receiving threats for some time.
His work won both supporters and critics, so his profile and research topics were at the centre of the debates that followed his death.
What happened
On the evening of 18 December 2002 Hablemitoğlu was shot in front of his home on Portakal Çiçeği Sokak in the Çankaya district of Ankara. The attack was received with deep concern by academics and the public in the capital.
His family and colleagues said that certain circles had singled him out before his death and that the attack was planned. Details of how it was prepared were later discussed in court.
Investigation and trial
For many years no clear result was reached. In early 2022 a suspect, Nuri Gökhan Bozkır, was reported to have been caught in Ukraine and brought to Turkey. In November 2022, before the limitation period expired, an Ankara high criminal court accepted an indictment against ten defendants, some of them abroad and described as fugitives. Prosecutors allege that the attack was ordered by the structure known as the Gülen movement, and the file was therefore transferred to Ankara's 28th High Criminal Court, which hears terrorism cases.
According to the latest reports found, the court has not issued a final verdict; it has taken several interim decisions, including the release of the last detained defendant under judicial control, and the hearing was adjourned to 14 October 2026. The family also won moral compensation from the Interior Ministry in an administrative case.
Where it stands today
Because the trial is still under way, the charges remain allegations and no defendant has been convicted. Hablemitoğlu is commemorated every year on the anniversary of his death in Ankara and other cities. His wife and relatives continue to call for the trial to be completed and for everyone responsible to be identified.