22 Kasım 2024 Cuma

"Beat & Release": Under House Arrest, He Kills Wife at Home, Sheds Electronic Clamp and Flees, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 November 2024)














                      Home is where the heartless is.

Yesterday, Servet Bozkurt, who was under house arrest and wearing an 
electronic clamp for arranging a courthouse attack on Selma Ateş Kazanç, 
the older sister of murdered "Ülkü Ocakları" (Idealists Hearths - a right-
wing group) chief Sinan Ateş, killed his estranged wife and her boyfriend 
in Ankara, before fleeing to Istanbul.

At the 2 October hearing concerning Ateş's murder, Selma hanım was
attacked by Mert Can Kılıç, to whom Bozkurt had given 3,000 TL
(about $87) to perpetrate the assault.  Consequently, Bozkurt was 
sentenced to house arrest.

Yesterday in Ankara's Etimesgut district, Bozkurt and his wife Elif
Bozkurt, who is in the process of divorcing Bozkurt, argued at
their home. As their children sought refuge in a neighbor's house,
Bozkurt slit Elif hanım's throat, broke off the electronic 
clamp and fled the scene.   He then went to the shop of Elif hanım's
alleged boyfriend Hasan Şahin and stabbed him to death. 

Last night Bozkurt was captured at a hotel in Istanbul's Beylikdüzü
district.  He had left prison a year ago. 

Etimesgut, at mark.
















****************************************************
türkçe links to original Turkish article.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 November 2024)















                       "We would rather not die."

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided some grim statistics at a
TBMM (Turkish Parliament) hearing: 

Murders of women: 284 in 2022; 309 in 2023; 276 in first 10
months of 2024;

Restraint orders on males; 162,897 (!) - first 10 months of this year;

Security personnel suicides: last 1.5 years - 79 police; 74 Gendarmerie;
2 Coast Guard.  





21 Kasım 2024 Perşembe

"Dig & Release": Fake City Workers Digging in Downtown Isparta Were Treasure Hunters

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 21 November 2024)


















          They claimed to have a secret treasure map.

The night before last at about nine-thirty, four "municipal workers"
wearing orange work vests began to dig on the sidewalk with a 
back-hoe in the center of Isparta city.  The four told onlookers that
they were city employees.  Shortly thereafter, though, their digging
caused damage to the underground electric and natural gas lines,
prompting the aforesaid onlookers to inform the authorities. 

Quickly, city officials and utilities personnel arrived at the scene
and determined that the four "municipal workers" were, in fact,
treasure hunters (!).  Three of them were apprehended at the scene
and the fourth was spotted by acting police chief Volkan Güneş,
who got out of his car and nabbed the suspect. 

After giving statements to the police, İsmail Avcı, Halis Tümen
Yaşar Güzel, Hacı Duran Cırdı and a fifth suspect, Şükrü Canıtez,
were arrested for "illegal trafficking in historical works" and 
"damage to public property".  The suspect refuted the charge 
about "treasure hunting" and "explained" that they were merely
doing some work on a construction project in the region (!). 





20 Kasım 2024 Çarşamba

"Bleed & Release": Two Russians Caught Smuggling 5,000 Leeches into Turkey at Istanbul Airport

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 20 November 2024)















Customs guy should have taken leave that day (yuk!).

On 18 November at Istanbul Airport customs officials x-rayed
a suitcase belonging to two Russian citizens and found 5,000 
live medicinal leeches (!) in two traveling bags.  Local animal 
protection officials in nearby Arnavutköy district were notified 
and found that the Russians did not have proper documentation
for the creatures, which are protected under the CITES 
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 
Wild Fauna and Flora) Agreement.

Consequently, all 5,000 leeches, weighing 8.34 kilograms, 
were seized and the two Russians were fined 2,624,816 TL
(about $76,000) for trying to import the leeches into Turkey
illegally. 

None of the 5,000 leeches had work permits for 
Turkey either!




18 Kasım 2024 Pazartesi

"Beat & Release": Wild Celebration Upon Inmate's Release from Jail, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 November 2024)


























       Might just go back in after "celebration".

A prisoner just released from jail in Adana celebrated in the 
streets of the 19 Mayıs Mahallesi neighborhood of the city's
Yüreğir district with his friends and relatives, setting up a 
sound system for music, lighting torches and firing guns into
the air (!). 

The mayhem was posted on social media (of course), prompting
the police to  come and try to quell the disturbance. 

"X" marks the mayehm.



17 Kasım 2024 Pazar

"Beat & Release": When Social Media Phenoms Collide Sparks (and Bullets) Fly, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 November 2024)















          Like two supernovas crashing into each other!

Last night at about 8 o'clock social media phenoms Çağlayan
Yıldırım and Cansum Şener (29) met to settle their differences
in the Plevne neighborhood of Ankara's Sincan district. An
argument erupted between the two and Cansum hanım shot
Çağlayan hanım with a revolver in her leg, before fleeing the
scene with her boyfriend. 

You think just anybody can do this job??!!



















Çağlayan hanım was taken to a hospital for treatment and 
is said to be in good condition.  In any case, Çağlayan hanım
posted a video of the incident on social media.  As for Cansum
hanım, who has a police record of 80 crimes (!), she and her
boyfriend were arrested in Altındağ district and the revolver
she used in the incident was seized by police. 






16 Kasım 2024 Cumartesi

Purported Pablo Picasso Masterpiece Seized in Remote Northeastern Anatolia

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2024)















           OMG! Turkish censors asleep at the switch!

In raids conducted by the Gendarmerie in the hinterlands
on Anatolia,  3,250 coins from the Ottoman, East Rome, and 
Byzantine periods were recovered, along with a painting 
claimed to be a Pablo Picasso masterpiece (!). 

In simultaneous Gendarmerie raids in 14 provinces of  east 
and southeast Anatolia, 21 suspects were pursued and taken
into custody - 19 of them were released after giving statements
and the other two were brought before a judge but released
under judicial supervision. 

The raid in Bayburt yielded the  purported Picasso painting, 
which is now being evaluated by experts to determine whether 
it is an authentic product of that great master. The suspects 
sought to sell it for 6 million Euros.

No doubt painted during Picasso's "Bayburt Period".



Driverless Metro Train Bypasses Five Stations, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2024)

driverless disasters click to see just how bad it can get.















                              Not the tunnel of love.

A driverless metro train left the Üsküdar station en route to
Samandıra but after passengers disembarked at the Bulgurlu
station the train passed by the Ümraniye, Çarşı, Yamanevler,
Çakmak and İhlamurkuyu stations without stopping (!).

Passengers alarmed by the train missing their stops pressed
the emergency button but to no avail.  Finally, the train came
to a halt near (but not at) the Altınşehir station.  Passengers
found a way to get off the train and walked along the tracks 
in the tunnel (!) to the Altınşehir station.

On one of the videos taken by the stranded passengers, 
someone alerts the others, saying "Hurry up and get off!
There's a train coming from behind!"

Oh yeah, sometimes there's an unscheduled express.



15 Kasım 2024 Cuma

"Eat & Release": When Fishing Season Opens, Thief Trawls Fish Store, in Küçükçekmece

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 November 2024)














                           Hmmm something's fishy...

At the Yılmaz Balıkçı fish store on the shore road of Küçükçekmece
in Istanbul, Uğur Yaşar (32) sells and grills fish.  Last week on Monday 
a thief entered the store with an iron bar, broke open a freezer and made
off with 20 "palamut" ((bonito, short-finned tunny)) worth 150 TL each,
along with stealing some corn flour.  But considering the damage to be
insignificant, Yaşar did not file a police complaint. 

However (!), on 11 November the fish thief returned and staked out
the store at about 1 o'clock in the morning.  When he discerned that
no one was around the thief entered the store and stole some cargo
packages, two pairs of shoes belonging to the fishmongers, five five-
kilogram cans of oil, and 10 kilograms of corn flour.  Before fleeing, 
the thief tried again to get into the fish freezer but failed.  Instead, he 
took a laptop computer and mouse.

In the morning, seeing that he had been victimized again by the thief,
Yaşar went to the police with store security camera footage.  Yaşar
said that he has been running this fish store for 15 years.  He lamented
that "the last time the thief came he took salmon.  Before that he took
sea bass and turbot.  When the fishing season starts he comes regularly
and robs the store like it's his routine.  This time he made a big mess of
the store so I filed a complaint."




14 Kasım 2024 Perşembe

"Beat & Release": Three Iranian Brothers' Stock Market Losses Prompted Collective Suicide, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 November 2024) 















                              They cashed in their chips.

Three Iranian brothers who came to Antalya some time ago, 
rented a furnished flat in Güzeloba neighborhood of Muratpaşa
district.  When the brothers' family in Iran could not reach
them for 15 days they contacted Iranian Emrullah Esedi in
Antalya.

Esedi went to the brothers' rented flat with the police and
entered with the owner's key, only to find the dead bodies of
Mohammed Reza Yasovalian (44), Mohsen Yasovalian (36) 
and Anmirhossein Yasovalian (33).  Police found a 9-page
note in Farsi relating that the three brothers had lost a large
amount of money playing the stock market and decided to
commit suicide together.  

1929 New York stock market crash precedent...





















The doors and windows inside the house had been taped
to prevent air from entering and the smoke from a coal
fire the brothers lit suffocated all of them. 



13 Kasım 2024 Çarşamba

"Beat & Release": Scimitar-wielding Attacker Chased Away by Mop-wielding Defender, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 November 2024)















                                    Mop bests scimitar!

In Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Iranian Soohasadat Mojsenalhosseini (27)
paid six months rent about a month ago to open a restaurant. A
while later the building's owners filed a complaint about their
renter in some relation to an insult of a woman.  

Mojsenalhosseini was sent to an immigration center for 
deportation but he was released a month later on judicial 
supervision.  Meanwhile, the owners wanted him to vacate
th restaurant site. 

Erkan E. (50), one of the brothers who own the building, 
raided the restaurant at about 2130 hours the night before
last and attacked Mojsenalhosseini and his workers with a
scimitar (!).  (Somehow) no one was injured but Erkan E.
caused some damage to the restaurant's furnishings. A 
worker brandishing a mop (!) succeeded in chasing Erkan E.
from the premises.  

Erkan E. was arrested by police and Mojsenalhosseini was
sent back to the immigration holding center. 



12 Kasım 2024 Salı

"Beat & Release": Guard Who Shot Drunken Rowdy at Metro Station is Himself Arrested (!), in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 November 2024)















Guard M.T.'s lament: "No good deed goes unpunished".

The evening before last at about 1930 hours at the Bostancı 
Marmaray station drunken A.A. was pestering others so 
security guard M.T. (41) warned him to behave himself.  This
prompted A.A. to attack M.T., who then shot AA. in the leg. 
Medics arrived to take A.A. to a hospital for treatment.

M.T.'s back-up was off duty at the time. 
















Police checked their records and found that A.A. had been 
arrested before for "breaking and entering".  As for M.T.
he was arraigned in court for "intentional wounding" (!)
but released on judicial supervision. 




10 Kasım 2024 Pazar

"Time-release Conspiracy Theory": Donald, Baron and John Trump Together in a Wacky Time Warp

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 November 2024)

















Trump voters head to the polls click here for post-
election analysis from "The Time Machine".


A conspiracy theory making the rounds after Donald Trump's
recent election victory describes Trump's son Baron as a time 
traveler (!).  A children's book written in the 19th century by 
Ingersoll Lockwood, an American jurist and author, is being 
likened to the story of Trump's return to power.  

The book's hero is a young and rich aristocrat who lives in 
"Trump Fortress".  This hero has a son named "Little Baron 
Trump" who has a fantastic imagination that prompts him to 
disdain his life of luxury. In Lockwood's first book, Trump-the-
younger finds a secret gate for time travel that takes him to 
Russia (!) for life-changing adventures.  All of the events in the 
book take place in Russia. 



























Four years after the first book, Lockwood wrote another
related book that was published in 1896 and entitled "The
Last President".  The book's story centers on a rich man who
lives on 5th Avenue in New York City, where today's Trump
Tower is located, and who runs for president although no one
gives him any chance of winning. 

The conspiracy theory has a connection to scientist Nikola 
Tesla who died in 1943.  It has been claimed that Tesla invented
a time machine for time travel and that an engineer named John
G. Trump,  Donald Trump's grandfather (actually Donald Trump's
uncle), a member of the National Defense Research Committee,
investigated Tesla's work on the time machine.  After going through 
Tesla's notes, though, John G. Trump came up with no result - or as 
the conspiracy theory asserts, kept the secret of the time machine 
to himself. 





9 Kasım 2024 Cumartesi

"Beat & Release": Wife's Late-Night Vacuuming Drives Hubby to Divorce Court, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 November 2024)


























       Feyza hanım shows no mercy.

In Istanbul, technician Emnre E. (33) married interior decorator
Feyza K.E. (29) in 2022 but nine months later Emre bey filed
for divorce citing his wife's late-night vacuuming (!) and fast
driving, prompted by her jealousy.  In addition, in his suit Emre
bey asked for 200,000 TL for emotional distress and 300,000TL
for material compensation. 

In his petition Emre bey stated that "In the third week of our
marriage our downstairs neighbors asked that my wife not run
the vacuum cleaner at night because of their newborn baby. 
Nevertheless, the defendant continued to vacuum late at night.
My wife retorted 'you only think about others, not me!'  When
she noticed a woman near us jealousy prompted her to drive
at high speeds, putting both of our lives in danger." (!)

For her part, Feyza hanım said that Emre bey's assertions were
baseless and she asked for 1 million TL in reparations.  Her
lawyer Ümit Erdoğan told the court that Feyza hanım loves her
husband and does not want a divorce.  The suit has been locked
in a stalemate since September 2023 and a decision did not
emerge from the third hearing. 

                           "It's either football or me!"



8 Kasım 2024 Cuma

"Beat & Release": Scooter Rider Hit by Truck Cab at Its "Blind Spot", in Pendik

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 8 November 2024)















                               Vehicular mismatch.

Ecem Sultan Çamlı (28) worked as an engineer at an aerospace
technology firm in Istanbul.  On 5 November on her way to 
work on her scooter at around 0845, she was hit by a TIR cab
(tractor-trailer) driven by Hasan Furkan Çolak (24) and dragged
150 meters.  Ecem Sultan hanım died at a hospital from her 
injuries. 

Çolak was taken into custody for "causing death by neglect".
In his statement Çolak related that "As I was heading toward
Sabiha Gökçen Airport, I heard the cars behind me beeping 
their horns so I stopped my truck, got out and saw an injured
person, whose name I learned was Ecem Sultan Çamlı, lying
on the ground in back of the truck.  I found out from the 
onlookers that I had hit this woman on her scooter.  I myself
did not see the incident because the deceased was riding her
scooter at the right front blind spot of my truck.  I did not
feel or sense that I had hit anything."















"In any case, I went to her and asked about her condition.
She replied that she was OK but was having trouble 
breathing.  She was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
I don't think I was at fault in the accident.  The right lane
was closed and I was in the far left lane because I was 
going to turn 40-50 meters later.  I do not accept the blame
that has been cast upon me."



7 Kasım 2024 Perşembe

"Beat & Release": Drug Addict Son Kills and Decapitates Mom; Sentenced to "Life + 6 Months", in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 November 2024)














                             Freudian slip and slash.

In Bağcılar district of Istanbul on 25 September 2022, Ali 
Sayan (28) and his mother Havva Sayan argued, prompting
Ali bey to kill her, cut off her head and throw it into the 
street (!).  Afterwards, he set fire to the house to avoid capture
by the police but he was nabbed in the house after firefighters
put the fire out. 

When Ali bey faced a judge he "explained" that "I don't recall
the incident. I learned about it in the hospital.  I've been using
antidepressants since childhood.  Now I'm addicted to all sorts
of drugs."

Ali bey participated in the court hearing from jail  by means of 
SEGBİS (like ZOOM).  He was convicted of killing a family 
elder and of  "intentionally creating a public danger", receiving 
a jail sentence of  "life plus six months" (!). 

Ali bey had a gruesome sequel in mind...





6 Kasım 2024 Çarşamba

"Beat & Release": Justice Prevails! Driver Exonerated After Fine for 1 KPH + Speeding, in Kayseri

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 November 2024)














Kargın also wants warning signs in Turkish henceforth!

Veli Kargın, an Ankara lawyer, learned from a notice he 
received from the Kayseri Regional Traffic Supervision Office,
that on 12 June 2024 between the hours of 17:23 and 17:52
he had exceeded the speed limit on the Kayseri-Malatya 
highway by 1 kph (!) and was fined 1,506 TL (about $44).

Kargın, though, appealed the fine noting that "with the 10 kph
tolerance, the speed limit on this road is 121 kph and I was 
fined for going 122 kph.  At any given moment, in 
consideration of  gradient and other road conditions, exceeding 
the speed limit by 1 kph is normal.  I request that the fine be 
voided."

A court decision on the matter came down in Kargın's favor
and his fine was voided.  The court declared that "It was not
easy for the driver to adjust to the traffic flow in light of the
road conditions, in regard to him having exceeded the speed 
limit by 1 kph. Additionally, his speedometer reflecting such
a slight difference and him noticing it was problematic.  
İn light of the radar system's sensitivities, weather and other
conditions it is not reasonable to consider 1kph to be over
the speed limit."




5 Kasım 2024 Salı

"Beat & Release": Football Booster Club Chief Offended, Puts Blonde Wig on Offender, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 November 2024)















                       A blonde not having more fun.

A photograph of Cem Gölbaşı, the leader of the "Young  
Fenerbahçe Boosters" club, was shared on a fake social
media account bearing the name and profile of former 
Turkish Football Federation president Mehmet Büyükekşi
on 17 October.  The caption for Gölbaşı's photograph
read "Look at this guy who went to the beach. Did you just
come down from a mountain?", along with some cursing. 

Those who were offended by this posting, including Gölbaşı, 
were able to identify the real poster as Burhan İ.  They 
tracked him down at his workplace, kidnapped him,  took a 
picture of him wearing a blonde wig, and made him post the 
picture on his own social media account along with this video 
statement: "I apologize for the wrongheaded thing I did to my 
elder, Cem Gölbaşı."

Subsequently, Burhan İ. filed a police complaint and 
Gölbaşı, along with six friends, were taken into custody
on Saturday, charged with kidnapping, and jailed. 

Not amused.



Halloween Nightmare: Elderly Man Beaten to Death With Pumpkin, in Karabük

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 5 November 2024)
























                                    Trick, no treat.

In Safranbolu district of Karabük province, when İbrahim Tuna's
three daughters in Istanbul hadn't heard from him in three days they 
had the village chief go to his home and he found Tuna (93) dead 
from blows to the head with a pumpkin (!).  A mentally-impaired 
individual was taken into custody for the killing and jailed. 

Tuna lived alone in Konarı village but his daughters, living in Istanbul,
contacted village chief Mustafa Özşen when they hadn't been able to
reach their dad since 28 October.   Özşen went to Tuna's house but no
one responded. He checked the perimeter and saw that a ladder was
propped up against the rear balcony, raising his suspicions.  Özşen
found another ladder and entered the house through the balcony. 

Killer pumpkins can climb ladders!!















He found Tuna on the bed completely covered.  When Özşen lifted the
cover he was confronted with a horrific sight and summoned Gendarmerie
troops, who determined that Tuna had died after being hit multiple times 
with a pumpkin (!).  They also determined that Tuna had gotten his 
retirement salary on 28 October but there was no money in the house 
and the house key was missing, too. 

The Gendarmerie unit identified another villager, mentally handicapped
Ayhan Aksoy (53), as the "pumpkin killer" and took him into custody in 
Emek village around midnight. They found Tuna's 11,800 TL salary and
his house key in Aksoy's house.    Aksoy was processed and taken to the
Karabük T-type Closed Prison
 





3 Kasım 2024 Pazar

"Beat & Release": Blocked Ambulance That Drew Sympathy on Social Media Actually a Truck Posing as an "Ambulance", in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 November 2024)















       A.A.: "One way? Fine, I'm only going one way."

In Istanbul's Küçükçekmece district on 1 November,an 
"ambulance" was unable to proceed down a back street
because the car coming from the opposite direction would
not yield the right of way.  The "ambulance" backed up and gave
way to the other car.  A pedestrian videoed the incident and
posted it on social media, prompting negative reactions and
a police investigation.  

//NOTE: many times, drivers impede ambulances for no reason 
other than spite. Other times, the ambulance may be used for 
other purposes like this one  below ferrying contraband 
cigarettes, or as a taxi to get passengers through traffic faster.//




















However (!),  it turned out that the "ambulance" was actually
a light truck dressed up as an "ambulance"  and illegally 
appearing to be a real ambulance.  Driver A.A. was taken into
custody and fined 23,709 TL ($690), while the "ambulance"
was banned from the roads for 15 days. 



2 Kasım 2024 Cumartesi

"Beat & Release": Teenagers Hinder Fleeing Step-Father's Escape So Step-Daughter Can Stab Him to Death, in Izmir

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 November 2024)

















                               No, they're not dancing.

The night before last in Konak district of Izmir, F.M. (23) and
her step-father Mehmet Kara (60) got into an argument, with 
F.M. accusing Kara of forcing her mother into prostitution.  
F.M. grabbed a knife so Kara fled from the house into the 
street.  F.M. chased after him screaming "sapık!" (deviant)
to enlist help from bystanders. 

As Kara was being roughed-up by the bystanders, F.M. 
caught up to him and stabbed him in the stomach, while
O.Ş. (16) stabbed Kara in his calf.  After being taken to a
hospital, Kara expired.

Police took F.M., O.Ş., S.D. (16), H.A. (17), M.A. (17) and
M.K. (17) into custody.  F.M. confessed to the stabbing and
O.Ş. "explained" that he had learned that Kara had harassed
a woman so he stabbed him in his calf.