"Beat & Release": Brother Kills Brother Over Garbage Duty but Court Grants Sentence Discounts, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 31 December 2022)

                        Ankara's Cain and Abel.

Last year on 5 March in Ankara's Çankaya district, while their parents

were away, Mustafa Kocaman (20) told his younger brother Kenan 

Kocaman (16) to take out the garbage.  Kanan balked at this request

and the two began to argue.  The argument became a fight and Mustafa

grabbed a fruit knife, stabbing his brother with it.  The wounded Kenan

pushed his older brother and fell to the floor, prompting Mustafa to 

take a bread knife from the kitchen, chase his wounded brother to the

bathroom and stab him 38 times. (!) 

Mustafa was arrested and tried for murder but expressed regret, telling 

the court "I wish I had died instead of my brother.  Then these things 

wouldn't have happened to me."   In response, the court granted Mustafa

a sentence reduction for committing the murder under "unjustified 

provocation" to 22 years in prison.  Additionally, because of Mustafa's

good behavior during his trial (he wore a tie), his sincere regret, his 

previously clean record, and in consideration of the effect of the sentence 

on his future, the court further reduced his sentence to 18 years 4 months. 

                          If only he'd worn a tie...

"Beat & Release": American TV Producer Hoodwinked by Istanbul "Investment" Gang for $3 Million

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 December 2022)

                             Latest cast of characters.

American Lori-Etta Taub was hoodwinked to the tune of $3 million

(56 million TL) by a Nigerian in Istanbul who claimed to be U.S.

citizen "Alex Quin", and his three Turkish partners-in-crime.  But

Taub came all the way to Istanbul, filed a criminal complaint against

the gang and all its members were arrested by police. 

Taub, who is the TV producer of such shows as "American Crime",

was enticed by "Quin"'s promise of big returns on investments.  

"Quin" turned out to be Nigerian Cyril Amechi Enebeli and his 

"associates" Turks Nuray Bakar, Recep Akçay and Doğukan Delibaş.

After luring her over social media, the gang got to Taub to send them 

a few thousand dollars, promising high-interest returns.  

After receiving the promised increased return, Taub sent a few 

thousand more dollars and was similarly rewarded. Having earned

her trust, the gang asked her for $3 million, which Taub sent to them

but heard nothing in response.  She tried to contact the gang but 

without success so she filed a criminal complaint with the Istanbul

public prosecutor.  

Istanbul police tracked down Enebeli, Bakar, Akçay and Delibaş,

taking them all into custody.   A search of their home yielded cash

and a lot of "digital material".  Thier bank accounts were blocked,

as well.

Taub's TV shows like "American Crime" have drawn viewers in 

Turkey.  Her other TV shows are "All American", "Lori Etta Taub's

Runaway", "The Uninvited", "The Glades", "Saving Grace", "Huff",

"Night Stalker" and "Tilt".  

"Turkish Crime" version waiting in the wings.

"Beat & Release": Noisy Neighbor Extracted from Flat "Karga Tulumba" Style, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 December 2022)

must see video

                 "Karga tulumba" style: by the limbs.

In Esenyurt, Istanbul, a person put a sound system on his flat's balcony

and played loud music day and night, driving his neighbors crazy.  Police

arrived and, with great difficulty, took the culprit into custody. 

The incident occurred a few days ago in Esenyurt's Saadetdere 

neighborhood.  Based on neighbors' complaints, police took the man

into custody, but only by pressing him to the ground and handcuffing

him behind his back. (!)  However, after processing at the police 

station, the man was released, returned home and started playing loud

music on his balcony again. (!)

Police came back and went into the man's flat where he resisted once

again.  Ultimately, he was carried out of the apartment building in

"karga tulumba" style (carried out bodily).  During an argument that

broke out between neighbors and the individual, his sound system was

destroyed.  

Poyraz İlhan, one of the neighbors, related that "sometimes he plays

religious music and sometimes old songs.  Parts of his sound system

are here on the ground because it was broken up yesterday. In any case,

we've gotten used to it.  He has mental problems and drinks too much so

he plays the music at night and sometimes he says odd things, but this

has become normal for us.  At times, we even make requests for 

particular songs and he agrees to play them.  Some people are disturbed

by his actions but he's sick so there's really nothing anyone can do. At

least we get to listen to music."

"Beat & Release": Spiritualist from Russia's Arctic "Sakha Republic" Strangled by Her Iranian "Magician", in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 December 2022)

   Spiritualist and her Iranian "magician" in happier times. 

Galina Trofimova (40), an English teacher and mother of two children, 

was living in Russia's Sakha (Yakutia) Republic along the shores of the 

Arctic Ocean, and divorced her abusive husband a year ago.  Based on

her interest in astrology, she began to organize "şaman" (spiritualist)

séances.  Galina became famous in her native country and on social

media with the name "Uu Dalaya". 

Trofimova's sister Kristina Semyonova had emigrated to Istanbul two 

years ago, began working in a finance company and invited Galina to 

join her.   Galina then began going to a Turkish course in Istanbul and 

met Iranian Armin Asgari (29) there.  The two had a mutual interest in 

"şamanism" and eventually, Galina and Asgari rented a flat in the

Kağıthane district of the city, living there together with her children.  

She wrote to her family back in Sakha that "a 'magician' has entered 

my life at a time when I wasn't intending to get close to anyone." 

                              Uu Dalaya at work.

Asgari was dealing in crypto money but suffered severe losses when 

the virtual currency dropped in value recently.  On the morning of 

25 December he woke up Galina's children, telling them that "we'll have

breakfast.  Your mother is sleeping so let's not wake her up."  Asgari

took the children to a hotel in Levent for breakfast and afterwards put 

them in a hotel room, saying that he would come back for them with

their mother. 

When Asgari had not returned by evening, the hotel staff talked with

the children (ages 11 and 8), got their mother's phone number from them 

and called her, getting no response.  They then called Galina's mother in 

Sakha, who put the hotel staff in touch with Kristina, who came to get 

the children.  Kristina and the children went to Galina's flat but when 

no one answered the door a locksmith was called.  Galina was found

motionless with black and blue marks on her neck - she had been

strangled to death.  

Police determined that Galina's wallet, telephone, gold and money

had been stolen.  A search began for Asgari, who had fled to Iran. 

Kristina has started a campaign on social media soliciting help to

send her older sister's body back to Sakha. 

"Beat & Release": U.S. Treasury's OFAC Mixed up "Good" and "Bad" Bayaltuns for 3 Years, in Şanlıurfa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 December 2022)

                                   The good guys.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control 

(OFAC) has admitted that it mistakenly placed the names of two

Turkish businessmen on a blacklist for providing "critical financial

and logistic support to the ISIS terrorist organization.", mixing up

the businessmen's names with those of two Turkish brothers who 

were tried for this offense in Şanlıurfa. (!)

The businessmen, Ahmet Bayaltun and his nephew İsmail Bayaltun,

live and work in Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey.  OFAC confused

them with two brothers with the same names in Şanlıurfa who were

tried for connections with ISIS. (!)  The (good) Bayaltuns were able to

finally get off the OFAC blacklist after three years with the help of

lawyer Halil Uzun, who represented Hakan Atilla, the former Halkbank

Deputy General Director who was caught up in the U.S. in a scandal 

involving sanction-busting dealings with Iran a few years ago.  

The (good) Bayaltuns were placed on the OFAC blacklist on 18

November 2019 and their bank accounts in Turkey were shut down,

they could not make bank transfers and their reputations were soiled.

Finally, a few days ago, the (good) Bayaltuns learned that they had

been removed from the OFAC blacklist.  İsmail Bayaltun noted that

in 2018 he had been taken into custody in Şanlıurfa in another mix-up

with the (bad) Bayaltuns but freed after the local prosecutor discerned

the name similarity and related confusion.  

Ahmet Bayaltun lamented that "we were victimized for more than three

years and had a hard time explaining the matter to our business 

partners.  We couldn't leave Turkey to participate in meetings and 

conferences.  Not just our assets were frozen, our lives were too!

We suffered greatly.  Only those close to us understood what was 

happening.  Otherwise, wherever we went this problem cropped up!"

"Beat & Release": Landlord Jackhammers Walkway, "Urging" Renters to Vacate, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 December 2022)

                        The latest in "Welcome" mats.

The dispute between landlord and lawyer Ali Topuz and the renters in 

his "Avcı" apartment building in the Arapsuyu neighborhood of 

Konyaaltı, Antalya, has taken on tragicomic overtones.  The seven 

renters claim that when they didn't agree to vacate when Topuz told them 

to he took them to court, cut off the building's electricity, removed the

iron gate outside the building and even jackhammered the walkway and 

staircase.  (!)

Renter Gülsen Adanır lamented that "the landlord kept telling us that he

was going to build a hotel here so we had to vacate.  And although the 

court proceedings are continuing, he's bothering us with telephone calls

and physical discomfort.  Two months ago he cut off the electricity and

had the outside iron gate removed, indifferent to our security needs.  

Then we saw him have the walkway and staircase jackhammered! If

the police hadn't come to stop it the entire staircase would have been

destroyed.  The landlord has sent other lawyers to our doors many times.

Now he says that all the work being done is for repairs and upkeep but

it all started concurrently with our eviction notices.  Does it take two 

months to replace an iron gate?!"

Another renter, who did not want to be named, said that "the landlord 

came to us and said that because Russians and Ukrainians have started 

coming to Antalya, a hotel would be more profitable.  After that, we 

began to live like the scenes in the Kemal Sunal movie "Kiracı"". 

As for Topaz, he asserted that "the building's electricity was cut off 

because the account was put in someone else's name.  The iron gate

was removed for repairs.  The walkway was broken up so I can make

it marble to prevent problems during rainstorms.  There is no question

of me trying to get the renters out sooner than would be appropriate.

They're living in a nice place like Konyaaltı and only paying 2,000

($1,071) TL a month in rent.  And am I not allowed to maintain my

own building?!   I think the renters are trying to prevent me from

raising the rent but, nevertheless, I'll go to them again and explain my

good intentions." (!) 

"Beat & Release": Turk's Body Cremated in German Mix-up

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 December 2022) 

          He went to heaven anyway, not the fiery place. 

In Germany, the body of Abdülkadir Sargın, who died from a burst 

brain clot, was cremated instead of the body of a German citizen, by

mistake. (!)  The Turkish Foreign Ministry contacted Sargın's family

upon learning of the mix-up and issued the following statement:

"Our citizen Abdülkadir Sargın died in the emergency room of MHH

hospital in Hannover on 14 December 2022."

Sargın's body was turned over to a funeral home and on 22 December,

prior to burial, the body was washed and prepared in accordance with

Moslem strictures.  However (!), somehow Sargın's body got mixed-up

with the body of a German citizen and was cremated rather than buried.

Sargın's family was notified about the mistaken cremation by MHM's 

forensic service.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry remains in close 

contact with Sargın's relatives in Turkey and Germany and is continuing

to follow the situation. 

"Beat & Release": Moroccan Chastises Uncovered Cashier but Social Media Gets Him Expelled From Turkey

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 December 2022)

//Note to TNT readers: This is our 12th-anniversary issue!//

            Homesick or not he's going back to Casablanca.

Moroccan Marouane El Alagui went into a store in Esenyurt district of

Istanbul and said to the cashier: "Alcohol and cigarettes are being sold

here! There is no need for you to show your hair! It's a sin! Why are you

showing your hair?!"  

A woman customer in the store confronted El Alagui and 

began to take a video with her phone's camera.  She asked him where

he was from and said, "This is the Republic of Turkey! Are you 

aware of that?!" to which El Alagui replied: "I'm Morrocan and I know

where I am. Thank God there is Islam here!"  The woman then 

countered by saying "We here live in a democratic country and it's no

business of yours where someone works and does!  If this woman  

((cashier)) wants to work here she can!  If you're uncomfortable with

me being here ((with hair uncovered)) go back to Morocco!!"

When posted, this video created a firestorm of protests, prompting 

police to track down El Alagui and he was taken into custody on the

charge of "trying to incite hatred and enmity among the public with

speech."  It turned out that El Alagui had similarly criticized an 

uncovered cashier at another market in another neighborhood.  After

processing at the police station, El Alagui was released but sent to

the Tuzla Repatriation Center in eastern Istanbul for expulsion from 

Turkey. 

         "Last call! All aboard for the Casablanca flight!"

"Beat & Release": Famous Lawyer Becomes Infamous for Own Messy Divorce, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 19 December 2022)

                        There's this kind of messy...

E.Y. (75), a lawyer famous for representing the famous and a former

public prosecutor himself, married N.Y. in 1974 and they had two 

children together.  Allegedly (!), E.Y. cheated on N.Y. many times 

during their marriage, prompting N.Y. to file for divorce three times

but she was always dissuaded by her children and relatives from 

following through. 

However (!), this time she means it! Allegedly (!), two months ago

E.Y. paid a 400,000 TL (about $21,500) "bride price" in order to 

marry a 23-year-old woman in an "imam nikah" (unofficial religious

marriage) ceremony.  E.Y. is said to have also bought the woman a

car worth 400,000.  Hearing of E.Y.'s new "marriage", N.Y. was 

shocked. 

         ...and this kind (congrats!) 

In the divorce filing in Istanbul's family court, N.Y.'s lawyer stated that 

E.Y. "has been a gambling addict for 40 years and earned 5 million TL 

($268,000) from Bitcoin this year, spending all this money, as always, 

on women and gambling.  My client wants money from E.Y., who 

comes home once every three or five months to see his grandchild.  

E.Y. reacted to this suit by saying that 'young women need money!' and

he proceeded to curse and insult my client.  We want the parties to

agree to a divorce.  We are demanding monthly alimony of 20,000 TL,

one million TL in material and one million TL in emotional 

compensation from E.Y."

             Maybe this webinar would help. (Ya think?!) 

"Beat & Release": 150,000 Euros Gone With the Wind, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 December 2022)

      Hey, what about "finders keepers, losers weepers"!

The day before yesterday, motorcycle courier Ünal Coşkun brought 

150,000 Euros from Beylikdüzü to Kapılıçarşı (Istanbul's "Covered

Market") but the deal was canceled so he headed back to Beylikdüzü

with the money in his coat. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon as he 

rode along the coast road in Zeytinburnu the wind picked up, his

coat flew open and the Euros flew away, too. (!)

Passing cars trampled on the money, which was bound in packs with

rubber bands, allowing the cash to fly away with the wind.  Coşkun 

tried to stop traffic and collect the scattered money and some drivers

stopped and helped him.  Coşkun also took a video of the scene to 

document any thefts.  Ultimately, 85,000 Euros, worth 1,700,000 TL

were lost. 

     "Next time, if there is one, I'll keep my jacket zipped."

Coşkun filed a criminal complaint against those who took the 

scattered Euros rather than return them to him.  He also alerted foreign

exchange bureaus concerning the serial numbers of the Euros.  Coşkun

lamented that "I hope the missing money will be found. I make just

8,000 TL (($429)) per month, my wife is pregnant and I'm in a tough

spot if the missing 85,000 Euros aren't found."

"Beat & Release": Istanbul U.S. Consul's Spouse in Diplomatic Accident-Incident

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 December 2022)

Vehicles have very limited immunity when diplomatically

assaulted. 

Mounir Elkhamri, the spouse of U.S. Istanbul Consul General Julie A.

Eadeh, driving a car with diplomatic plates, smashed into the car in

front of him (plate nr 34 EYC 840) at 5 o'clock yesterday morning in

Şişli district of Istanbul.  The driver of the other car was injured and

taken to a hospital.  Elkhamri was given a breathalyzer test at the scene

by police, with a result of "2.40 promil" (the limit is 0.50!).  Elkhamri

left his car at the scene and departed. 

"The Birds" Redux in Van: Stubborn, Noisy Crows Ignore Drums, Tambourines and Horns

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 December 2022)

Hmmm seems like the crows are taking direction from 

someone....

In Van province's Erciş district crows are making life difficult for 

the humans there.  The crows have occupied the poplar trees in 

Kasımbağı village, especially around sunset, screeching noisily and

damaging crops.  So far, the villagers have tried banging drums and 

tambourines with cymbals to chase away the crows, but to no avail.

 

                      Extras waiting for their scene.

This time the villagers tried blowing horns but again without success!

Villager Orhan Özcan lamented,"there's such a crowd of them it

seems like a black cloud in the sky.  We can't sleep because they 

screech all night long.  Drums and tambourines didn't do any good

so we get up at night and blow horns.  They disperse for a bit but

then they come back."

        Villagers have a pretty good idea who's behind it all.

 

"Beat & Release": Even Pigeons are Fair Game for a Murdering Thief, in Eskişehir

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 December 2022)

                                   Ouch. No comment.

        

Hüseyin Pınar (44) lived in a one-story house in Şarhöyük village in 

Eskişehir's Tepebaşı district.  At around midnight on 10 December, he

heard noise coming from the roof where he kept his pigeons.  When

he went up to the roof he encountered Neşat T. (19) who had a scissors

in his hand and was trying to steal the pigeons. (!) 

During the ensuing tussle, Neşat T. shot Pınar dead and fled. Police 

reviewed about 1,250 hours of security camera footage and succeeded in 

identifying Neşat T., who was wearing a ski mask during the pigeon

robbery and who has a long criminal record.  Neşat T. was then nabbed

in a raid on a house in Fevzi Çakmak village where he was hiding.  

Meanwhile, Pınar was laid to rest the day before yesterday. 

Neşat T. was hoping to star in the sequel. 

"Beat & Release": Try to Get Shot in a Hospital Parking Lot - Help is Close By, in Istanbul and Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 December 2022)

    You don't even have to wait for an ambulance to come!

Yesterday afternoon at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Hospital in 

Istanbul, Emrullah G., a policeman assigned to Afyonkarahisar, 

brought his wife to the hospital but he got into an argument with

parking lot attendant Mehmet A..  Emrullah G. took a gun from 

his car and shot Mehmet A., who was brought in for treatment by 

hospital personnel.  Emrullah G. was taken into custody by fellow 

policemen from the Fatih police station. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 13 December 2022)

              Police are usually close to the hospital too!

The head of Çukurova University's Balcalı Hospital, Kamil Önder, was

shot twice in his left leg in front of the hospital morgue (!) after he parked 

his car in the hospital parking lot at about 10 o'clock in the morning.  As 

the attacker fled, Önder tried to walk to the emergency room but he 

collapsed on the way.  Hospital staff brought Önder to the emergency 

room for treatment.  Meanwhile, police have begun looking for the 

attacker. 

"Beat & Release": Playing (and Fishing) with Dynamite Ends Badly, in Keşan

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 December 2022)

  Scared and scarred by dynamite, they'll use sledgehammers 

next time.

Yesterday in the waters off İbrice port in Keşan district of Edirne

province Erdal Koz (44), Özer Güler (40) and Kadir Korkmaz (47)

went  fishing, intending to use dynamite to catch fish, although this is

illegal. 

(Perhaps not unexpectedly) the dynamite exploded in Koz's hand,

which was blown off from his wrist, and injured Güler and Korkmaz.

Fellow fishermen nearby brought the injured men to shore, from where

they were taken to Keşan State Hospital.  Koz was put into intensive care,

while Güler and Korkmaz were treated for injuries to their faces and eyes.

All of them were subsequently transported to Trakya University Medical

School Hospital for further treatment. 

"Beat & Release": Garden Party Crasher Shoots Three and Kills Two, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 December 2022)

                        Green thumb as trigger finger.

In Osmangazi, Bursa, the day before yesterday Furkan Gazi went to see

Ercan Bayram who was sitting in a hobby garden with two friends. 

An argument ensued between Gazi and Bayram, prompting Gazi to 

take out his gun and shoot Bayram, Ertan Şahbaz and Deniz K.  As the

three lay there in a pool of blood, Gaza left the scene in his car.

Bayram and Şahbaz died, while Deniz K. was taken to a hospital for 

treatment of the gunshot wound in his leg.  About an hour later, police

nabbed Gazi in Yalova on his way to Istanbul.  In his statement to 

police Gazi explained that "when he asked me why I came without 

first telling him I was coming we got into an argument so I started 

shooting." (!)  Gazi was charged with "intentional murder" and 

taken to prison. 

"Beat & Release": High School Girl Lured Into Marriage with "Secret Agent" Promise, in Konya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 December 2022)

             Principals H.A. and A.S.K. - bereft of principles. 

High school senior G.A. (17) has claimed that her school principal 

H.A. tried to lure her into a relationship with a man with a promise 

of making her a MIT (Turkish intelligence agency) agent.  G.A. 

explained the situation as follows: 

"Principal H.A. said to me 'your grades are very good. Let's get a job

for you in MIT.'  Then, he introduced me to Ahmet Mandal, who he 

said was a MIT agent.  Next, they told me that I'd been accepted into

MIT but I would have to pose as Ahmet Mandal's lover.  I rejected 

this proposal but H.A. insisted so I accepted."  

"Ahmet Mandal talked about us getting married in a religious ceremony 

but I said no. After this, a female principal from another school came to 

talk to me, saying 'religious marriage is a woman's right.  It would be 

good for you and not a sin at all.'  Ahmet Mandal threatened to harm my 

family so I had to accept his proposal.  The religious wedding was 

performed in the office of the female principal and H.A. presided.  

After the wedding, Mandal said to me 'henceforth we're married!' 

and he raped and beat me for days."

Dad G.A., wearing his "Trick for Truth" (!) t-shirt, made a

'better late than never' complaint to save his daughter. 

G.A.'s father G.A. filed a police complaint and Ahmet Mandal, who 

turned out to be an electrician and the married father of one child (!), 

H.A., A.S.K., the principal of the other school, and her husband M.K. 

were all taken into custody.  Mandal was arrested on 25 November 

for "sexual harassment of a minor" but H.A., A.S.K. and M.K. were 

all released (!).  The National Education Ministry has started an 

investigation into the matter and principals H.A. and A.S.K. have 

been suspended. 

 

"Beat & Release": Wife-stabber Gets Big Sentence Discounts, in Kayseri

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 December 2022)

Ahmet bey's photographer gave him a discount too because 

of the stray lines.

Last year on 24 December, Fatma Çakır (45) left her home on Vatan Street

in the İldem Fatih neighborhood of Melikgazi district in Kayseri province

on her way to work when she was confronted by her estranged husband 

Ahmet Çakır.  During the ensuing argument between the two Ahmet bey

stabbed Fatma hanım 18 times (!), seriously injuring her. 

Discounts dependent on your lawyer's knack for bargaining. 

Fatma hanım stayed in the hospital for 10 days before being discharged,

while Ahmet bey was arrested.  The court initially sentenced Ahmet bey

to an aggravated life sentence but reduced the sentence to 16 years 

because Ahmet bey had not succeeded in killing Fatma hanım (!).   The

court committee then reduced the sentence further to 13 years 4 months

by applying a "haksız tahrik" (unjustly incited) discount for Ahmet bey .

(!)