"Beat & Release": Izmir Judge, Armed to the Teeth, Jailed American Pastor in 2018

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 31 May 2024)

"Sometimes unpleasant people come to my office. I must be

ready for them!", says Tabur, second from right.

Turkey's Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has announced that an 

investigation has been launched about Izmir Judge Oktay Tabur, 

who posed with three other senior judicial officials in front of a 

display of  20 weapons - 13 revolvers and 7 long-barreled guns -

in his office at the Izmir courthouse. (!)

As a result, an inspector from the Judges and Prosecutors Council

(HSK) has been assigned to look into the matter.  Minister Tunç

stated that "our judges and prosecutors must avoid any behavior

at odds with judicial etiquette."

When asked about the source of his luxury car, Judge Tabur 

"explained" that "I play the stock market" (!).   He noted that 

all the weapons are licensed.  Tabur gained notoriety during 

the 2018 diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the USA over Pastor

Andrew Brunson, who was ultimately freed thanks to pressure

from then-President Donald Trump (now a convicted felon) (!).

Now, Brunson is asking God to keep Trump out of jail.

Cows and Storks Insist on Sharing Roads and Airways, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA New Agency, 30 May 2024)

Cows flee, wary of impending "Kurban Bayramı" (Feast of

Sacrifice) (!) in two weeks time. 

Yesterday at about 5 o'clock in the evening four cows (!) appeared on the 

TEM (Trans-Europe North-South Autobahn) highway in Avcılar, 

Istanbul.  The cows paid no attention to the cars whizzing by them and

efforts by drivers to remove them were unsuccessful.  Police arrived to 

escort the cows off the highway in a safe manner.

******************************************************

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(NTV website, 30 May 2024)

                         Lots of babies to deliver.

As warm weather approaches the migration of storks has begun,

prompting Istanbul air traffic control officials to declare a "stork

alarm" to head off collisions between airplanes and the storks.

One pilot taking off from Istanbul Airport informed the control

tower of  a flock of storks, so the tower passed along this news to

other pilots in the area. 

"Beat & Release": Irate Parent Storms First-Grade Class with 5 Friends (!) to Beat Up Son's Rival, in Darıca

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 May 2024)

      Does it take five adults to beat up a first-grader??!!

In Darıca district of Kocaeli province yesterday, the son of M.A. had a

fight with another student in Ressam Osman Hamdi Bey elementary 

school.  When M.A. heard about this he stormed into his son's first-grade

classroom and demanded that teacher Burak Laçin point out the child

his son had fought with so M.A. could beat the child.  In response, Laçin

said "you'll do no such thing! The kids may fight among themselves but

we make peace between them."

M.A. had come to the school with five friends (!) to beat up his son's 

rival.  When Laçin refused to identify the other child, M.A. directed his 

ire at Laçin and was only deterred somewhat when Laçin's fellow 

teachers intervened.   The tumult moved from the school's corridor into

the adjacent garden.

Police arrived and tracked down M.A., who had fled.  The provincial 

and district education authorities announced that an inspector had been

assigned to investigate the incident and National Education Minister

Yusuf Tekin condemned the attack, as well. 

"Beat & Release": Scavenger's Gruesome Dumpster Discovery - 16 Body Parts, in Pendik

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 May 2024) 

       What did the elderly Nihat bey do to deserve this??!!

In the morning yesterday in Pendik, Istanbul, a garbage scavenger 

searching for recyclables took note of a foul smell coming from a 

dumpster and looked inside.  To his amazed chagrin, the scavenger

saw human body parts inside the dumpster and alerted the police.

When police arrived they found more body parts in other nearby

dumpsters.  In total, there were 16 body parts (!) in four dumpsters,

belonging to the deceased, Nihat Salih (79).   Salih's head had been

severed and his skin scraped off.  Police also noticed cuts on Salih's

dismembered legs, knees and ankles, as well as a steel plate in one leg.

"Beat & Release": Gang Families' "Peace Summit" Turns Into Battle Royal, in Üsküdar

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 May 2024)

                       Turkey's Hatfields and McCoys.

Last Thursday evening in Istanbul's Üsküdar district, the Kazan and 

Karataş families met to make peace between their children, who had 

fought with each other the day before.  

However (!), a clash erupted between the families, resulting in the

deaths of Tamer Kazan, Okan Güner and Veli Hakan Karataş.

Another five individuals were injured in the fighting.  When police

investigated they found that there were fugitives from justice and

others with long criminal records among the family combatants. 

Twelve individuals were taken into custody and then transported to

the Anatolian Justice Palace in Kartal.  Before being put into a 

police car for transport, though, one of the suspects asserted that his

side had been "ambushed" by the "Özbeyler", whom, he claimed,

the police had refrained from arresting. 

Istanbul police have previously launched many operations against

both the "Kazanlar Gang", which has been involved in threats,

armed attacks and woundings in Ataşehir and Üsküdar, and the

"Özbeyler" gang.  

"Beat & Release": Plumber Slashes Cousin's Wife to Death for Her Gold Bracelets, in Samsun

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 26 May 2024)

             Used his profession's tool for the evil deed.

When Fatih Yıldırım (41) couldn't reach his wife Kader Yıldırım (39) 

by phone the evening before last, he went to their home on the 13th

floor of their apartment building in Samsun's Atakum district.  With a 

screwdriver borrowed from a neighbor Fatih bey was able to enter the 

flat through the fire escape door, only to find his wife and the mother 

of their two children in a pool of blood on the floor. 

Medics arrived at the scene and determined that Kader hanım had 

died from 39 cuts (!) inflicted on her body.  Fatih bey noticed that

the gold bracelets on his late wife's arms were missing and this led

police to his cousin, plumber Mehme Işık (32), who lives on the 

3rd floor of the same building.  

Işık was arrested by police when he came to the Yıldırım's flat to

pay his condolences  (!).  Kader hanım's bracelets were recovered.

Işık confessed to the murder and "explained" to police that he had

a 300,000 TL (about $9,300) debt and killed Kader hanım to get

her bracelets so he could pay off this debt.  He told police he used

his pipe cutter to inflict the cuts on Kader hanım and then threw 

the murder weapon into nearby Kürtün Creek.  The pipe cutter was

not recovered but Işık was jailed nevertheless. 

"Heart-beat & Release": Real Heart Replaces Artificial One Three Years Later, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 25 May 2024)

                           Ya gotta have (a real) heart!

Mehmet İncedayı (21) of Kayseri contracted pneumonia when he was

18 years old and this led to a diagnosis of heart problems.  İncedayı

was brought to Akdeniz University Hospital in Antalya and in March

2021 an artificial heart was attached to him.

On 2 May at 0230 hours in the morning Akdeniz University's Prof.

Dr. Tuncer Karpuzoğlu transplanted the heart of a brain-dead youth

aged 20 into İncedayı.  After years of living with an artificial heart,

İncedayı felt a real heartbeat once again. 

He explained that "the artificial heart is comfortable but the energy 

from the pouch substitutes for a real heart in giving the body the 

power to exist. So you're always aware of this electrical transmission

because that's what keeps you alive.  But now, three years later, the

beat of a real heart is very pleasing to me.  I want to go swimming!"

"Entice & Release": Turkish Gangster, Lured by "Black Angel" in Honey Trap, Wounded in Rival Gang's Attack, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 May 2024)

                            Irresistible "Black Angel"

Barış Boyun (40), a Turkish gangster who started his own gang in 2016,

added the "Dalton Gang", led by Bahadır Akdağ and Beratcan Gökdemir,

to his organization.  Boyun fled Turkey but continued to direct his gang

from abroad and his gang's rivalries with other gangs stretched to Georgia,

France and Greece.  An Interpol "red bulletin" was issued for Boyun

and he was taken into custody in Italy. 

Boyun, who is expected to be returned to Turkey in the coming days, 

is charged with more than 120 crimes.  The Istanbul Public Prosecutor

issued a 96-page indictment against Boyun on 1 March and included

charges of armed attacks implemented by his associated "Dalton Gang" 

members.  

The indictment reflects enmity between Boyun and other Turkish gangsters

named Uğurcan Gündoğmuş and Halil Ay.  However, Gündoğmuş sought

help from Boyun, who then directed Akdağ and Gökdemir, whose 

nickname is "Can Dalton", to support Gündoğmuş.  In this regard, 

Gündoğmuş gave social media phenom (!) Gizem Karamelek (whose

surname means "Black Angel" (!)) instructions to contact Ay, which she

did via Instagram.

                           Hail, hail the gang's all here.

On 13 January 2023, Gizem hanım succeeded in placing a tracking

device in Ay's car.  After Ay left a Şişli, Istanbul, nightclub in the wee 

hours of the morning he was attacked at the Golden Horn Bridge by 

four members of the "Dalton Gang" using long-barrel rifles and wounded, 

while his associate Cumali Aslan was killed.  "Dalton Gang" member 

Doğukan Kırık was wounded in the exchange of gunfire and captured 

by police as his cohorts fled.  During the incident Kırık was wearing an 

"electronic handcuff" because of another crime he'd committed (!). 

Gizem hanım admitted to police that she had enticed Ay to meet with

her via an Instagram message but she denied that she'd placed a 

tracking device in Ay's car, in which, nevertheless, Gizem hanım's 

fingerprints were found.  After the attack on Ay the "Dalton Gang" 

assailants removed the tracking device from Ay's car.  

Gizem hanım has been charged with being an organized crime group

member and aiding a murder.  Boyun and Gökdemir have been charged

with ordering her to assist in Ay's demise.  

"Beat & Release": Cop's "Suicide" Beginning to Look Like a Murder Cover-up, in Karaman

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 May 2024)

     Cause and effect: Mom died awaiting son's body.

On 27 January midwife Elif Çelik and her fiancé policeman Mehmet 

Şimşek returned to his duty station in Karaman province's Ayrancı 

district after spending time in Adana.   However, in Karaman Şimşek

saw that the diamond ring he had bought for Elif hanım, worth 27,000 TL 

(about $840), along with a blank sheet of paper with his signature on it, 

had been stolen from the drawer in his office. 

Şimşek reviewed camera footage and noticed that policeman A.D. 

had entered his office on 28 January without permission.  Şimşek

filed charges about the theft on 31 January, but he was found dead in

his car on 1 February from a gunshot wound to the head.  His death

was ruled a suicide (!).  As for A.D., he was arrested on 10 February 

but released from jail on 4 April. 

The public prosecutor assessed that Şimşek was distraught over his

separation from a previous fiancé, the theft and his change of duty

station.  Along with the discovery of psychologic medicines in Şimşek's

office, the prosecutor came to the conclusion that Şimşek had 

committed suicide and voided the charges against A.D.

However (!), Şimşek's family's lawyer Nazan Akça Subaşı asserted 

that Şimşek's death was the result of "a professionally arranged murder"

and she objected to the fact that the two different strands of hair and 

five fingerprints found at the scene had not been investigated.  The

family has asked another court to reactivate the charges against A.D.

Şimşek's older sister Zeynep İnceer declared that "we will never 

accept this as a suicide.  The soil sample, hair strands and fingerprints

found in the car weren't investigated.  In addition, we have two 

eyewitnesses who were not questioned, nor was anyone else in the 

village asked to testify.  They were going to be married on his birthday,

16 May.  The 4-year-old medicines placed in his office were expired

and he never acquired them because they require a prescription.  On

the day of  the incident my mother suffered a brain bleed and died 

while awaiting her son's body.  We will not stop pursuing this matter."

"Shove & Release": She "Fell" to Her Death but 15 Months Later "Pushy" Hubby Arrested, in Yalova

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 May 2024)

                    An example of  "assisted falling". 

On 24 January 2023 Semiha Sözer (41) and her husband Erdal Sözer,

who were both living in Karamürsel district of Kocaeli province, went

to nearby Altınova in Yalova province for an outing.  At about 7 o'clock

that evening as the couple was taking photographs on top of rocky cliff

Semiha hanım "fell" 20 meters down to her death. 

The Gendarmerie became suspicious of Erdal bey's contradictory

statements and put him under technical and physical surveillance for

15 months.  In addition, a group of expert academicians was formed

to assess the incident as an "expert witness".  As a result, it was 

determined that Semiha hanım had been pushed, rather than having 

fallen, and Erdal bey was taken into custody a week ago on 15 May.

An examination of Erdal bey's home computer revealed that he had

searched on topics such as "how is a person pushed?" (!).  He refused

to give a statement in this regard and has been jailed. 

Search history reveals the hidden truth!

"Beat & Release": Infamous Turkish Hacker Wanted by FBI, Caught by Police in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 16 May 2024)

                 "ChaO" explained: "Beats working."

This man was at the top of fraud incidents at the international level.  He

invented a device in Turkey and sold it in places like England, France

and America, reaping millions of dollars.  The FBI named this man, 

Çağatay Evyapan, who used the codename "ChaO", as one of the four 

most dangerous hackers in the world.  He's been caught by the 

Istanbul police.  How did this happen?

Evyapan's device enabled criminals to steal money from ATMs - it is

implanted at the card-entrance port on an ATM and copies all the card's

information. Another element of the device on the keypad garners the

card's cipher when the owner punches it in.  Rather than sending the 

stolen money directly to the criminal's account, which would easily

identify him, the money is routed through internet foreign currency

domains.  

Evyapan first surfaced in 1993 for the first credit card theft in Turkey.  

Victims complained that their bank accounts were emptied, leading 

police to Evyapan, who was arrested in 1998 but he successfully 

escaped from prison in 2000 (!).  He was sought by the FBI and Interpol 

up until 2008.  Finally, the Istanbul police nabbed Evyapan and found 

information relating to nearly 10,000 banking cards in his home. 

So how was it that the Istanbul police found Evyapan when the FBI 

couldn't?  Evyapan had a website called "DarkMarket" and to enter this

website one needed the references of three people.  The FBI tried for four

years to penetrate the website and ultimately an FBI got in.  One thing

led to another and one of the gang's members "Jilsi" was caught in 

England.  The trail then led to another gang member, "Kier", and this

arrest resulted in a photograph of Evyapan/"ChaO" being obtained.    

Istanbul police identified "ChaO" as Evyapan, trailed him and his

friends and arrested him.  Evyapan was astonished that the police had

been able to link "ChaO" to himself and he tried mightily to figure out 

the mistake he'd made that got him caught.  In any case, the FBI chief

came to Turkey and thanked the Istanbul police for capturing the

infamous hacker "ChaO", who is now in prison. 

"ChaO" in happier days...

 

"Beat & Release": Israeli Gold Smugglers and American "Spider"-man Nabbed at Istanbul Airport

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 May 2024)

A stroller worth its weight in gold...and then some.

Police at Istanbul Airport tailed two people coming from Dubai and found

73 gold ingots worth 178 million TL (about $5.5 million) secreted in a 

baby stroller (!).   Each ingot weighed one kilogram. 

And yesterday the airport police force nabbed American Professor Lorenzo

Prendini for trying to smuggle scorpions and tarantulas out of Turkey (!).

On 21 April, an Israeli couple coming to Istanbul from Dubai, M.Q. and 

A.K., were stopped and their belongings were x-rayed.  The gold ingots

were found in the bottom of the couple's baby stroller.   Both individuals

were taken into custody and after processing M.Q. was jailed and A.K.

was released. 

In the other incident at Istanbul Airport, police found 1,500 scorpions,

tarantulas and spiders in 58 plastic bags, and another 88 plastic bags

with liquids (!) in the baggage of American Professor Lorenzo Prendini,

who works at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

After processing at the Gaziosmanpaşa courthouse, Prendini was 

released on judicial supervision. 

Scholarly Spiderman

"Beat & Release": Shepherd Spots Flying "Man in Black" Form, in Muş

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sputnik website, 27 April 2024)

Experts think it was Tommy Lee Jones - "Men in Black"

sequel is currently being filmed near Muş.

While shepherd Murat Koç was grazing his sheep in Küçüktepe village 

of Muş province's Varto district, he saw the figure of a human being (!)

suddenly appear in the sky above him.  Koç said that "it was a black

thing resembling the form of a person.  I took the video so that others

could see and know about it.  I was able to see the thing for about a 

minute.  I want this to be investigated."

Continuing, Koç related that "it was about 5 o'clock in the evening in

the pasture where I was grazing my sheep and I noticed this object 

in the shape of a person that suddenly appeared.  I was startled by it

and took the video so that others would know about it."

"Beat & Release": Bitcoins Illegally Mined in Abandoned Sock Factory, in Çorum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk website, 9 May 2024)

There were 17 - one got lost in the dryer.

In an operation targeted at an abandoned sock factory (!) in Alaca district 

of Çorum province, a suspect doing Bitcoin mining was taken into custody

and 16 devices used for the mining and valued at 5 million TL (about 

$155,000) were seized. 

Suspect S.A. (29) was using unregistered devices smuggled into Turkey

for Bitcoin mining in the abandoned sock factory in Alaca's Özhan 

neighborhood.  Police conducted technical and physical surveillance of 

S.A.'s activities before raiding the premises.  In addition to seizing the 

16 devices, police discovered that S.A. had hooked up electricity to the 

building illegally, too.  

Modern recycling: socks repurposed as Bitcoins...

"Cheat & Release": Driver's License Candidates Bugged to Steal Test Info, in Aksaray

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Yeni Şafak website, 9 May 2024)

Lots of drivers in Turkey seem to have gotten their licenses 

this way...or on sale at Migros.

The Gendarmerie operation was targeted at a test center in Aksaray's Eskil
district.  Two individuals had a candidate for a driver's licenses wear 

specially-designed clothes with electronic systems during the tests.

Firstly, the suspects were identified by the Gendarmerie as R.A. and Ş.E.,

both of whom live in Eskil. They were subjected to physical and 

electronic surveillance for a month.   The suspects had driver's license 

candidate M.E. wear the special clothes into the test center while they 

waited nearby in a vehicle.  Their aim was to obtain information about 

the test to sell to other candidates.  

M.E. was caught wearing a sweater with a hidden camera in the chest

portion of the sweater and a device within the garment to send voice 

signals.  In addition, M.E.'s underwear contained a device for transmitting

visual signals, along with a wi-fi set with an earpiece.

In a search of the vehicle in which R.A. and Ş.E. were sitting, three mobile

wi-fi sets, three cellphones, nine secret mini-cameras, eight mini-earpieces,

23 mini lithium batteries, four voice transmission devices and two other

cameras, three electronically outfitted sweaters for test-takers to wear and

other related paraphernalia was discovered.  

M.E., the test-taking candidate, and R.A. and Ş.E. were taken to the

Gendarmerie command.  The investigation is continuing. 

"Betroth & Release": Donkeys "Married" to Highlight 2030 Extinction Threat, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 May 2024)

                  And they lived happily ever after...

A symbolic "wedding" was held in Ortaköy village of Antalya's Kumluca

district to call attention to the danger that donkeys will be extinct by the

year 2030 (!).  

Gold, horseshoes, beads and other items were strewn over the beasts as

they were "betrothed" by a wedding official and in the presence of 

witnesses and the villagers.   After the ceremony, village chief  Halime

Kay had the happy couple munch on lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and 

grass.  Next, the newlyweds were loaded onto a tractor and sent off to

their honeymoon.  A citizen who blocked the tractor's progress was 

given an envelope full of money as the "bride price".

"Beat & Release": Bungolows and Pools "Stolen", in Çatalca

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 May 2024)

                            "Where's the rest of me??!!"

In Çatalca, the structures and pools (!) of five bungalows have been 

stolen.  The claim is that a dispute between the bungalow builder and 

a neighbor of  the bungalow owners prompted the theft.  The remnants 

of the homes and pools can be seen above. 

The incident occurred in Çatalca's Akalan village.  The bungalows were

being used by their owners as weekend retreats.  An individual named

Yahya Kemal Yaman, a neighbor of the five bungalow owners, got into 

an argument with the bungalows' builder about money owed to Yaman. 

To settle scores Yaman (somehow) "stole" the bungalows and the pools

one night.  When the owners arrived they were shocked, as might be

expected.  

The Gendarmerie was called in and an investigation is underway.

Once upon a time there was a bungalow...and a pool...