"Beat & Release": "Justice" Dishonored in Death, but Dads Just Shrug It Off, in Istanbul

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 March 2022)

                  Destined to live happily never after. 

Adalet Bike was married off to distant relative Mahmut Bike while still

a child.  When Mahmut bey was in prison, he learned that Adalet hanım

had begun a friendship with another man.  So when Mahmut bey got out

of prison, he pursued Adalet hanım, who on 21 June 2021 went to a park 

in Istanbul's Büyükçekmece district with her cousin Öznur Erbek to meet 

Gökhan Denli.  (NOTE: "Adalet" means "justice" in Turkish)

Mahmut bey knew where Adalet hanım was thanks to a smartwatch he

had given her.  So together with his brother Firat Bike and friend Furkan 

Özcan, along with Adalet hanım's older brother Selahattin Erbek, Mahmut 

bey went to the park, where they forced Adalet hanım and Öznur hanım 

into a car.  At this time, Mahmut bey stabbed and then shot Gökhan bey 

to death and then fled the scene with Adalet hanım in his car.

A few hours later, Adalet hanım's body was found on the E-5 highway.

She had been run over by a car - a Jaguar belonging to Fırat Bike.  The

car was found a few kilometers beyond the point where Adalet hanım's

body was discovered.  

Mahmut Bike, Fırat Bike, Furkan Özcan and Öznur Erbek were all taken

into custody, while Selahattin Erbek disappeared.  The Bakırköy public

prosecutor charged all five suspects with "honor killing" and asked the

court for severe life sentences.  

The first hearing of the case occurred yesterday and Mahmut bey 

confessed to killing Gökhan bey.  Fırat Bike, though, claimed that "my 

older brother Mahmut was ahead of me and I was following him in my 

car.  I ran over something and the airbags exploded.  I couldn't restart the 

car. When we saw that the police were approaching, we ran away."

At yesterday's hearing, Mahmut bey stated that "my wife saw some 

messages on my phone and said she would take the children and 

divorce me.  On the day of the incident, her smartwatch indicated 

that she was near Lake Büyükçekmece.  Thinking she might commit

suicide, we went there but when we arrived Gökhan Denli pulled out

a knife.  I took it from him and stabbed him.  When he ran toward my

car I shot him.  As we got onto the main road, Adalet's older brother

Selahattin got out of the car.  At that time I was slapping Öznur.  Then

a sound came from within the car.  I put Öznur out of the car and saw

that Adalet was no longer in the car.  When we returned to the scene of

the incident, I saw that the police were coming, so I got scared and ran

away."

As for Adalet hanım's father, Mehmet Erbek, he said that "If I knew 

what had happened I would have been right there alongside the 

suspects.  I have no complaint and I trust in the justice system."  (!)

Similarly, Gökhan bey's father Arap Denli said that "I've no complaint.

I trust in the justice system.  I'm glad to have met them (suspects).  I

wish all this hadn't happened, though." (!) 

On the other hand, Gökhan bey's older brother Hüseyin Denli and 

Adalet hanım's sister Melek Erbek filed complaints against all the 

suspects.