Attorney Erol Deli, after graduating from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 2003, served as a public prosecutor in various regions of Turkey for approximately 15 years. During this tenure, he gained deep knowledge and experience in the field of criminal law, serving in regions with different geographical and cultural structures, including Enez/Edirne, Hınıs/Erzurum, Kastamonu, and İskenderun/Hatay. In these areas, he closely dealt with criminal cases of varying degrees of difficulty, mastering the legal dynamics of each region. In these regions, he fulfilled his prosecutorial duties in a wide range of criminal cases, from social events to organized crime and individual offenses, developing a deep strategic thinking ability.
During his service as a prosecutor he was involved in conducting investigations, gathering evidence and preparing indictments. In that period he acquired practical knowledge of both the investigation and the prosecution stages of criminal proceedings.
The experience gained over more than twenty years in the profession — approaching a quarter of a century — is now applied solely to serious criminal proceedings. Files are accepted in homicide, drug offences, sexual offences, aggravated fraud, robbery, organised crime, and embezzlement, bribery and extortion by public officials.
Intentional killing and its aggravated forms; establishing intent, unjust provocation and self-defence.
Drug trafficking and possession for personal use, the lawfulness of searches, and effective remorse.
Sexual assault and sexual abuse of children; the assessment of testimony and forensic medical reports.
Aggravated fraud under Article 158, cases involving banks and information systems, and the civil-law boundary.
Taking property by force or threat; the boundary with theft, aggravated forms and the low value reduction.
Founding, leading and belonging to a criminal organisation; the membership boundary and interception evidence.
Embezzlement, bribery and extortion by public officials, and the boundary with misconduct in office.
Assize court jurisdiction, detention periods and objections, and the appeal and cassation routes.
The jurisdiction of the assize courts is set out in Article 12 of Law No. 5235. The rule is that offences carrying aggravated life imprisonment, life imprisonment or more than ten years’ imprisonment are heard there.
Alongside that rule, certain offences are assigned to the assize court regardless of the sentence prescribed: robbery, extortion by a public official, the aggravated form of forgery of official documents, aggravated fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy. Whether a case is an assize matter therefore cannot be answered by looking at the sentence alone.
Jurisdiction is a matter of public order and is considered by the court of its own motion at every stage. When the legal classification of the conduct changes, so does the court. In practice the classification argument is one of the earliest and most decisive lines of defence work: the direction of intent, the degree of force used, or the presence of an aggravating limb changes both the sentence and the competent court together.
The first difference concerns defence counsel. For offences carrying a minimum sentence of more than five years, counsel is mandatory; if the suspect or defendant does not appoint one, the bar association assigns counsel. Representation is not left to choice in this area.
The second is the composition of the court. An assize court sits with a president and two members; it may decide by majority, and dissenting reasons are recorded in the judgment. A court of first instance sits with a single judge.
The third lies in protective measures. Maximum detention periods differ, police custody may be extended to three days for offences committed collectively, and special investigative measures such as interception of communications are applied mostly in these cases.
The fourth is the volume of evidence. These files contain autopsy and forensic reports, ballistic examinations, camera analyses, communication records and numerous witness statements. Checking whether the evidence was lawfully obtained comes before any argument on the merits: evidence obtained unlawfully cannot found a judgment even if it is accurate.
Proceedings have two stages. The investigation begins when the authorities learn of a suspected offence and covers the gathering of evidence by the public prosecutor; at this stage the person is a suspect. Once the court accepts the indictment, the prosecution stage begins and the suspect becomes a defendant.
The most decisive moment is usually the first statement. Statements made and evidence gathered during the investigation shape everything that follows and are difficult to correct later. Camera footage, communication records and digital data are also deleted after set periods, so requests to secure favourable evidence should not be delayed.
Deli Law Office is a sole practice. Every matter accepted is handled by Erol Deli from beginning to end; files are not passed to another lawyer.
Approximately fifteen years as a public prosecutor gave practical knowledge of the investigation stage. Knowing how a case file is built, how evidence is gathered and on what reasoning an indictment is drafted offers a different vantage point when working on the defence side.
Clients are kept informed at regular intervals about the stage the process has reached, the options available and their likely consequences. Unrealistic expectations are avoided, and the weaknesses of a case are explained as openly as its strengths.
Two tests apply together. If the offence carries aggravated life, life or more than ten years’ imprisonment, the case is heard by the assize court. In addition, offences such as robbery, extortion by a public official, aggravated fraud, the aggravated form of forgery of official documents and fraudulent bankruptcy fall within its jurisdiction regardless of the sentence.
Yes. Counsel is mandatory for offences carrying a minimum sentence of more than five years. If the suspect or defendant does not appoint counsel, the bar association assigns one.
As soon as you learn that you are the subject of an investigation. The most decisive moment is usually the first statement, and what is said and gathered then shapes the whole process. Deadlines for challenging protective measures are strict, and evidence such as camera footage is deleted over time.
A person who is arrested has the right to have a relative informed. Custody may not as a rule exceed twenty-four hours from arrest, or three days for offences committed collectively. The right to consult defence counsel may be exercised during that period, and legal assistance should be obtained without delay.
No. The practice is devoted solely to serious criminal proceedings. Matters in family, labour, commercial, enforcement and bankruptcy law are not accepted.
Yes. Serious criminal matters from across Turkey can be discussed. Where attendance at hearings is required, travel and accommodation costs are assessed separately. An initial meeting may also be held by telephone or online.
