Istanbul: The grave of a former Turkish intelligence official, Kasif Kuzinoglu, was opened after 15 years to determine the cause of his death. Turkish authorities have exhumed the grave of the former intelligence chief, who died in Istanbul’s Silivri prison, to reassess the true cause of his death.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the exhumation procedure was initiated at the request of the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation aims to explore the possibility of third-party interference, following the official cause of death in 2011 being recorded as a heart attack. A specialized committee, consisting of three forensic specialists, a chemist, and a pathologist, has been tasked with collecting bone, soil, and other samples for thorough testing.

The prosecutor’s office has announced that the collected findings will be examined alongside prison camera footage, 112 emergency calls, and hospital records. These will be reviewed before the First Specialized Department of the Forensic Medicine Institute issues its official opinion on the matter. Kuzinoglu’s death occurred on November 12, 2011, eight months after his arrest, and just before he was due to testify in a case in which he was a defendant.

The reopening of the investigation has resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects, with nine being detained in the latest wave of arrests. Among them, one person has been imprisoned, while eight others have been released under judicial supervision. These measures have not yet established any crime or the responsibility of any individual.