Released from prison in 1974 as part of a general amnesty, Güney was re-arrested that same year for shooting Sefa Mutlu, the public prosecutor of Yumurtalık district in Adana Province, to death in a night club as a result of a drunken row and given a prison sentence of 19 years. Güney has always declared his innocence. During this stretch of incarceration, his most successful screenplays were "Sürü" ("The Herd", 1978) and "Düşman" ("The Enemy", 1979), both directed by Zeki Ökten. "Düşman" won an Honourable Mention at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival in 1980.