"Block & (No) Release": Two Women Stop Traffic in Yalova and Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 6 August 2026)

    "No Parking!...except for chairs."

In Yalova, an argument erupted between two women over a 

parking spot in front of a café. One of the women wanted to 

park her car in front of the café but the other, a café worker, 

objected, saying that parking there would hinder access to the café. 

So (!), the café worker sat in a chair  to prevent the other women 

from parking and ultimately prevailed. 

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

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 5 August 2026)

Those TikTok videos are not to be missed!

In Istanbul, a woman whose identity has not yet been learned, lay

down in the middle of a road and became engrossed in her telephone.

The honking of irate drivers had no noticeable effect on the woman.

Local residents reacted angrily to the woman's behavior, saying she

had first been on ıop of a vehicle and then lay on the road. 

"Squeeze & Release": Micro-"Pubic Beach" Sparks Coastline Access Debate, in Bodrum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(bodrumhaber.com website, 5 August 2026)

"Let's just keep this our little secret, lest the hordes invade."

Bodrum Municipality has created a 48-square-meter area on the 

Türkbükü coast, replacing an illegally constructed pier, and has put up 

a "public beach" sign. But is this truly a public beach, or is it a 

"municipal beach" that the municipality deems suitable for the public? 

Since the entire coastline is already open to public use, who decides 

which sections are for the public and which are for businesses?

The designation of this 4-meter wide and 12-meter long area, squeezed 

between restaurants in Türkbükü, a neighborhood of Bodrum district in 

Muğla, as a "public beach" has sparked controversy in the district.

It is stated that even 8-10 people cannot comfortably sunbathe in this 

small area of ​​only 48 square meters, and images have been shared on 

social media with comments such as "Turkey's smallest public beach."

However, the controversy is not limited to the size of the beach. The 

real debate is about directing citizens to these small areas where the 

municipality has put up signs, while the majority of the coastline is 

used for commercial purposes by businesses.

According to the Constitution and the Coastal Law, coastlines are 

under the sovereignty and control of the state and should be open to 

equal and free use by everyone.

In this case, areas called "public beaches" are not a privilege granted 

to the public by municipalities; rather, they represent a limitation of 

the public's already existing right to use the coastline to a small section.

The situation in Türkbükü raises the following questions:

If the coastlines already belong to the public, why are separate "public 

beach" signs being erected? Who decides which sections of the 

coastline will be left to the public and which will be used by businesses? 

Why are the public being directed to a few small areas along kilometers 

of coastline?

If municipalities are making such a distinction on behalf of the public, 

then let a referendum be held in every neighborhood; let citizens 

themselves say whether they find the few square meters allocated to 

them sufficient or not. (!)

"Rotten & Release": Woman Battered While Buying Unripe Pears for Her Toothless Mom, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 August 2026)

Volatile pear market...must be an Iran war effect.

A dispute broke out between a female customer and a market vendor 

in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul over choosing pears (!). According to 

the allegations, market vendor Selahattin Ş. (55) warned Nurcihan 

Yıkılkan (50), saying, "Sister, I sell these, we earn our living from them. 

Don't damage the products." When the argument escalated into a fight, 

Selahattin Ş. threw a wooden plank at Nurcihan Y.'s head. Yıkılkan, 

injured and bleeding profusely, received 10 stitches to her head at the 

hospital. Selahattin Ş. was taken into custody and subsequently arrested 

by the court. 

Speaking about the incident, Nurcihan Yıkılkan said, "He suddenly hit 

me on the head. I was covered in blood. Should women be treated like 

this? Don't they have mothers, fathers, wives, and children?"

The incident occurred on Monday, July 27th, around 7:00 PM at the 

neighborhood market in Kulaksız. During the argument, Selahattin Ş. 

insulted and swore at Nurcihan Yıkılkan. Selahattin Ş. then threw a 

wooden plank at Nurcihan Yıkılkan's head. Nurcihan Yıkılkan, injured 

by the plank, was attended to by medical and police teams who were 

dispatched to the scene after bystanders reported the incident.

Selahattin Ş. defending his pears' ripeness.

Selahattin Ş., who was detained by police, is being prosecuted for 

"intentional injury." While the investigation continues, Selahattin Ş., 

after being processed at the police station, was referred to the courthouse 

and subsequently arrested by the court.

Nurcihan Yıkılkan, speaking about the incident, said, "I was cleaning. 

Around 6:30-7:00 PM, my mother asked for pears. My mother is blind; 

she is disabled, and she has no teeth. I said, 'Okay, Mom, I'll buy them.' 

I was also doing housework. At that time, I went to the market. There 

was a stall. There were some rotten fruits there. I was looking for some 

for my mother. A man there said, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Sir, my 

mother is blind, and she has no teeth. I'm going to buy some unripe pears.' 

He said, 'You can't.' I said, 'Please, sir.' He cursed, saying, 'Your mother...' 

and said, 'You can't.' Suddenly, he hit me on the head. I couldn't understand 

what happened; I was covered in blood. Should women's lives be like this? 

Don't they have mothers, fathers, wives, and children? Can't we go to the 

market? Can't we buy what we want?"

"Rapids & Release": Raging Euphrates Claims Selfie-taker; But "Spares" Convict Who Faked Death, in Şanlıurfa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 August 2026)

        Selfie competing with Angel of Death these days. 

The incident occurred yesterday evening in the Dorucak neighborhood of 

Birecik district, Şanlıurfa province. According to reports, Havva Çelik, 

who was trying to take a selfie on the rocks by the Euphrates River, 

suddenly lost her balance and fell. Swept away by the current, Çelik 

disappeared.

Her family, noticing her disappearance, called the 112 Emergency Call

Center and requested assistance from health, Gendarmerie, and search 

and rescue teams. Teams dispatched to the scene recovered Havva Çelik's 

lifeless body. Following investigations at the scene, Çelik's body was

taken to the morgue for autopsy. 

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

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 August 2026)

Called family from abroad to report that news of his

death was premature (!). 

A search operation was launched for Abdulkadir Taştan, the driver of the 

car that plunged into the Selgelen stream, a tributary of the Euphrates,

who was thought to have been swept away by the current and 

disappeared. 

However (!), Taştan, who was found to have numerous criminal records, 

was revealed to have planned to fake his own death when he called his 

family from abroad. 

On Friday night, in the Akçakale district of Şanlıurfa, a car with the 

registration number 34 GET 243, driven by Abdulkadir Taştan (36), 

plunged into the Selgelen stream. Neighborhood residents who witnessed 

the accident reported it to the Gendarmerie. The car was recovered from 

the stream, but Abdulkadir Taştan was not found. 

After some time, it was discovered that Taştan, who was found to have 

numerous criminal records and was being searched for on the grounds 

that he had been swept away by the current, had called his family. It 

was learned that Taştan had called his family and said he had fled abroad. 

Furthermore, it was determined that the car with the registration number 

34 GET 243, which was recovered from the stream, was stolen. (!)

"Sting & Release": Wasps Take Revenge in Isparta; Mobile Hives Amp Up Bees' Productivity, in Kars

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper,  2 August 2026)

               Wasp to Zafer bey: "Vengeance is mine!"

Zafer Kaya (51), a furniture upholsterer who poured hot water into the 

nest of wasps that were bothering his customers in his workplace in 

Isparta and was stung by the wasps that came out, lost his week-long 

battle for life in the hospital on his birthday today (!). 

Vengeful wasps emerged from the nest and stung Kaya. Having an 

allergy to wasp stings (!), Kaya was taken to the hospital by his family.

He received treatment at Isparta City Hospital for a week but passed 

away this morning. It was learned that today was his birthday, and that 

he had lost one of his two children to carbon monoxide poisoning 

approximately 10 years ago.

Kaya's funeral service was held at Erenler Mosque in the Davraz 

neighborhood, after which he was buried in Karaağaç Cemetery.

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

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 August 2026)

                             "Have hives, will travel".

Yücel Üzeyir (50), who is engaged in beekeeping, his family profession, 

in Kars, transformed a truck trailer into a solar-powered mobile honey 

production facility with a project whose design, installation and 

engineering belong to him. Placing 340 beehives in 8 layers on the trailer, 

Üzeyir produces 6-7 tons of organic and geographically indicated honey 

in the Kars highlands without tiring the bees with his mobile facility 

equipped with a smart climate control system.

Üzeyir also installed a 10-kilowatt solar panel system for his energy needs. 

Thanks to the smart climate control infrastructure in the system, which 

generates its own electricity, suitable living conditions for the beehives 

are continuously maintained. Üzeyir, who can easily reach the high-altitude 

and flora-rich plateaus of Kars, aims to produce 6-7 tons of honey.

Yücel bey moonlights as an action-movie star.

Üzeyir stated, “We have created an innovation to produce organic honey 

and protect the ecological balance in nature. We transformed this massive 

structure into a mobile bee production facility with a capacity of 340 hives, 

the design, installation, engineering, and patent of which are entirely my 

own. We gathered 340 hives in an eight-story system on a single truck trailer. 

We established a system that generates its own energy with 10-kilowatt 

solar panels. Without tiring the bees, we produce completely organic certified 

and geographically indicated honey in the high-altitude geography and 

plateaus of Kars, without harming nature.”

"Glance & Release": Recidivist Criminals Exchange Bad Looks, Then Shoot Dead Peacemaker Baker, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Akşam Newspaper, 1 August 2026)

Another entry in the "no good deed goes unpunished" file.

In Istanbul's Bayrampaşa district, bakery owner Mehmet Pehlivan, 

who tried to break up a fight that started with the phrase "what are you 

looking at?" in front of Pehlivan's bakery, was shot in the chest and died. 

Three suspects with extensive criminal records were apprehended and 

referred to the courthouse in connection with the incident.

According to information obtained, yesterday around 4:50 PM, in the 

İsmetpaşa neighborhood of Bayrampaşa district, on Tuna Street, Çiğdem 

Canbaz and her daughter were passing in front of a bakery when an 

argument broke out between them and a customer, Raşit Özbek, over 

the phrase "what are you looking at?".  (!) The argument ended quickly, 

but 25 minutes later, Çiğdem Canbaz and her husband, Enis Emre 

Canbaz, arrived at the scene and began assaulting the man sitting in 

front of the bakery. As the fight escalated, Raşit Özbek's father, Cemil 

Özbek, also joined in.

During the incident, Enis Emre Canbaz pulled out a gun from his 

waistband, and the gun went off during the ensuing struggle. As a 

result, the bakery owner, Mehmet Pehlivan, was wounded in the chest. 

Enis Emre Canbaz fled the scene. Police and medical teams were 

dispatched to the scene following a report. The teams launched an 

operation to apprehend the suspects. After reviewing security camera 

footage, the suspects, Enis Emre Canbaz, Raşit Özbek, and his father 

Cemil Özbek, were taken into custody.

During their investigation at the scene, the teams recovered 4 empty 

shell casings, 1 live round, and 1 unlicensed handgun. Further 

investigation revealed that suspect Raşit Ö. had 9 previous criminal 

records, suspect Enis Emre C. had 13, and his wife, Çiğdem C., had 3. 

The suspects, Raşit Özbek, Cemil Özbek, and Enis Emre Canbaz, 

were taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan after their 

procedures at the police station. 

Speaking about the incident, a citizen named Nevzat Koç said, 

"Someone was looking at someone else here. The woman went and 

told her husband. Her husband came here. Mehmet Abi (Pehlivan) 

intervened during their fight. When he intervened, the bullet from the 

gun hit him. That's the whole story. I used to buy bagels from Mehmet 

Abi, I was very happy with him. He never harmed anyone. He was 

injured here and passed away in the hospital."

"Abuse & Release": Peeved Mayor Has Trench Dug After Argument With Bureaucrats, in Hendek

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 31 July 2026)

           Work was scheduled long ago...sure it was.

Following an argument between Sakarya Hendek Mayor İrfan Püsküllü 

and personnel from the Land Registry and Cadastre Directorate, it has 

been alleged (!) that municipal teams carried out excavation work in the 

area where the institution's building and parking lot entrance are located.

On Tuesday, July 28th, an incident occurred at the Hendek District Land 

Registry Office. According to allegations, Hendek Mayor İrfan Püsküllü 

went to the Land Registry Office for some transactions. During these 

transactions, a verbal argument reportedly took place between Mayor 

Püsküllü and Land Registry and Cadastre personnel.

Coincidentally (!), following the argument, teams from the Hendek 

Municipality Public Works Directorate arrived at the Land Registry Office 

with construction machinery. The teams carried out excavation work in 

the area between the Land Registry Office building and the parking lot 

entrance.

At the end of the workday, citizens who were in the building to conduct 

transactions with the Land Registry Office employees were astonished 

to see that the exit road had been dug up. Due to the excavation in the 

parking lot and at the building entrance, vehicles had difficulty exiting, 

causing a brief disruption in the area.

Campaign slogan was "Perturb Püsküllü at Your Own Risk!"

"Betroth & Release": Groom and Relatives Slay Wedding Photographer, Thinking He Was Rich, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 31 July 2026)

 Bride left with just this after groom was caught and jailed.

Photographer Ferhat Açık was brutally murdered by the groom (!), Okan 

Kılıç, and his relatives, after taking their wedding photos. Açık was lured 

to a forest under the pretext of a photoshoot, but when he resisted those 

who tried to steal his car after discovering no money in his bank account, 

slit in the throat. All that remains is this wedding photo taken by Açık 

(above).

In Istanbul, Okan Kılıç (25) contacted photographer Ferhat Açık (21) to 

take photos at his wedding. During this time, Kılıç became close friends 

with Açık and continued their friendship after the wedding. Allegedly, in 

May, Okan Kılıç, his brother Rıdvan Kılıç (20), and their relative Poyraz 

Kaya (19) made their first attempt to kidnap Ferhat Açık and extort money 

from him. 

Troubled youth.

However (!), when Açık arrived with a friend, Okan Kılıç was unable to 

carry out the kidnapping. On July 12, Kılıç called Açık again and tricked 

him by saying, "We need to do a photoshoot in Arnavutköy, can you come 

and pick us up in your car?" Photographer Ferhat Açık picked up Okan 

and Rıdvan Kılıç and Poyraz Kaya in his own car and went to a wooded 

area in Arnavutköy.

Ferhat Açık was abducted here. Seeing that there was no money in his bank 

account, though, the suspects tried to transfer ownership of Açık's vehicle to 

themselves. Açık said he didn't have his ID with him. The suspects forced 

Ferhat Açık to call his brother, Habip Açık, and say, "Brother, I need my ID 

for the filming; Okan is coming, give him your ID." Following the ensuing 

commotion and shouting, the suspects stabbed Ferhat Açık eight times and 

slit his throat, killing him. The suspects buried Açık's body in the forest 

and fled.

This is the script for the horror film-style sequel.

Okan Kılıç sent a message from Ferhat Açık's phone to his brother, Habip 

Açık, saying, "I'm in trouble, I need to go abroad because of a matter of 

honor. Sell the car urgently and send the money to my account." The 

three suspects took Ferhat Açık's car and went to his brother Habip Açık 

to get his ID. A day later, when Okan Kılıç tried to transfer the vehicle to 

his own name, the notary clerks became suspicious, causing him to panic. 

He then left the notary and handed the car over to Habip Açık.

Supposedly rich photographer was just 21.

Habip Açık reported his brother missing. The suspects sold Ferhat Açık's 

cell phone to a phone shop in Esenyurt and fled to Van. Police, with the 

help of cadaver dog Zeyna, found Ferhat Açık's body in a wooded area in 

Arnavutköy on July 26th. Rıdvan Kılıç and Poyraz Kaya were apprehended 

in Van. Okan Kılıç was caught trying to escape to Iran during an operation 

in the border region. A total of five suspects, including two arrested in 

Istanbul, have been referred to the courthouse.

"Chat GPT & Release": AI as Accomplice in Tangled Aunt-Niece Murder Case, in Tekirdağ

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk website, 30 July 2026)

"Cuff him!...uh, it!...uh ...oh , just forget it. Too hard."

An indictment has been prepared against İnci Çalışkan, who was 

arrested in Tekirdağ on the grounds that she murdered her aunt, 

Binnaz Eriş (70). The indictment states that before the murder,

Çalışkan accessed artificial intelligence applications and searched 

for things like, "How to kill someone without leaving a trace?", 

"Would they die faster if I shot them in the skull?", "How to 

dispose of a body?", and "Would someone suffer if shot in the skull?"

The incident occurred on January 9th in Öğretmenler Caddesi, Hürriyet 

Mahallesi, Süleymanpaşa district. Police, medical, and fire crews were 

dispatched to the address after people reported seeing smoke rising from 

the apartment on the second floor of a four-story building. The teams, 

arriving at the apartment where Binnaz Eriş lived alone, broke down 

the locked door and entered to extinguish the flames. The fire was quickly 

brought under control.

Firefighters found Eriş's lifeless body covered in blood during a search 

of the apartment. It was determined that Binnaz Eriş had been stabbed 

to death in the throat and abdomen.  Police teams are reviewing all 

security camera footage in the area regarding the murder of Binnaz Eriş, 

the mother of Serkan Eriş, a CHP (Republican People's Party) Municipal 

Council member in Süleymanpaşa. 

Not a very nice niece.

Binnaz Eriş's niece, İnci Çalışkan, and her husband, C.Ç., were taken 

into custody as suspects. In her initial statement to the police, İnci 

Çalışkan confessed to the crime, stating that she went to her aunt Eriş's 

house, slit her throat, stabbed her in the abdomen, and then took the gold, 

money, and cell phone before leaving. 

It was determined that İnci Çalışkan took gold worth approximately 

1 million TL (about $21,000) and some cash to her  home and hid them, 

then went to pick up her child from school, and during this time, threw 

her cell phone near a garbage container in front of the Zübeyde Hanım 

Girls' Vocational High School on Hükümet Street.

It was stated that İnci Çalışkan later went back to Eriş's house, poured 

cologne on the body, and set it on fire, which caused the fire in the house. 

After the murder came to light, Çalışkan reportedly returned to the scene 

and wept with her relatives. İnci Çalışkan and her husband, C.Ç., were 

taken to the courthouse after their procedures at the police station. 

Çalışkan was arrested, while her husband was released under judicial 

supervision. In her statement, Çalışkan reportedly said she was very sorry 

and, referring to Ömer B., who was allegedly her lover, stated, "I didn't 

want this to happen. They wanted it, they manipulated me." Ömer B. was

later arrested as part of the investigation.

Ömer B. was arrested at his worksite.

The indictment prepared by the Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office 

regarding the incident was accepted by the Tekirdağ 3rd High Criminal 

Court. During the preliminary hearing, Ömer B. was released. The 

indictment requests that İnci Çalışkan be punished for the crimes of 

"premeditated murder of a woman with monstrous intent," "intentional 

murder to conceal the crime," "arson," "damaging property," and 

"robbery of the victim." It is stated that Ömer B. is being prosecuted 

for "incitement."

The indictment states that before the murder, İnci Çalışkan accessed 

artificial intelligence applications and searched for answers to questions 

such as: "Would shooting her in the skull kill her faster?", "How to 

dispose of a body?", "Would she suffer pain if shot in the skull?", "Would 

pepper spray or a knife to the stomach kill him quickly?", "How to kill 

someone without leaving a trace?" She also made AI searches related to 

gold markets and knockout needles.

The indictment states that camera footage shows Çalışkan entering and 

leaving the house where the incident occurred, and that two coffee cups 

were found in the house, cupboards and belongings were in disarray, and 

bags were opened and scattered. The indictment also states that a search 

of Çalışkan's house revealed a bloody knife, a screwdriver, freshly washed 

clothes, a bloody headscarf, $340, and €40. 

It further notes that the suspect cashed in gold at a jeweler that same day. 

Additionally, it is stated that blood traces belonging to Binnaz Eriş were 

found on the knife found in İnci Çalışkan's house, and DNA samples 

belonging to İnci Çalışkan were found on a white hand towel in the kitchen 

of Eriş's residence. The indictment also mentions that Çalışkan testified

that if she did not find the money, Ömer B. would sexually assault her.

The trial of the defendants will begin on November 3rd at the Tekirdağ 

3rd High Criminal Court.

"Snatch & Release": Four Women Steal Enormous Refrigerator, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Haberler.com website, 29 July 2026)

                 Another victory for Women's Lib!

In Avcılar, a wardrobe-type refrigerator weighing approximately 100 

kilograms (!) and standing 2 meters 10 centimeters tall, which had been 

brought in for repair, was stolen by four women who arrived in a van 

and carried it through the garden gate. The entire theft was captured 

on security camera footage.

The incident occurred in Ambarlı neighborhood. A two-door, wardrobe-

style refrigerator, brought for repair to Deniz Atacan's home appliance 

repair shop, was left in front of the shop and locked to the metal railings. 

However (!), yesterday morning, around 6:30 a.m., a van arrived on the 

street. Four women got out of the van and went to the refrigerator, which 

is reportedly worth around 100,000 TL (about $2,100) on the market.

While one of the suspects acted as a lookout, the others opened the 

refrigerator doors and checked its interior and motor. One woman 

unlocked the chain lock while two others wore gloves. Then, together, 

the women carried the refrigerator, weighing approximately 100 kilograms, 

out through the garden gate. Afterwards, they loaded it onto a pickup truck,

passing it along the sidewalk and between parked cars, and quickly drove 

away from the scene.

            Men should stay out of the kitchen anyway!

Store owner Deniz Atacan said, "Around 6:30 in the morning, four 

women carried away a huge wardrobe-like cabinet that our four men 

couldn't even carry here. One of them was standing guard in front of 

the door. The four women loaded it into the car and drove away. "

"A few days ago, some iron and other things were stolen from the 

demolished building on the corner. These women came at dawn, opened 

the cabinet, looked inside, then broke the lock at the back and took it 

away. They were quite strong women. Four women carried a cabinet 

that our  four men couldn't even carry. We were amazed. There's a very 

small distance between the door and the car; we watched in amazement 

how they managed to get it out of there. They really carried the cabinet 

in a very professional way. Without scratching it, without damaging it…"

"Kamikaze & Release": Turks Beat Each Other Up... in Nagoya, Japan (!)

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Karar website, 28 July 2026)

Japanese, foreground, watch "Amazing Turks" in action.

Footage of a mass brawl among Turks, reportedly filmed in Nagoya, 

Japan, (!) has gone viral on social media. While posts suggest the fight 

was between people from Fatsa and Kars, the identities of the parties

involved and the cause of the incident have not yet been confirmed.

Images were shared on social media accounts with the caption, "People 

from Fatsa and Kars clashed in Japan." However, the identities of those 

involved in the fight, their hometowns, and the fact that the incident 

took place in Nagoya have not yet been officially confirmed.

The images show the parties throwing punches and kicks, as well as 

various objects found in the vicinity, at each other.

Turks too close for comfort in "Little Fatsa" 

The fight, which took place in an area where a car and bicycles were 

parked on the side of the road, was captured on camera while some 

people tried to separate the parties.

While it was observed that people watching from the sidelines did not 

intervene, the occasional sounds of laughter heard in the recording 

also drew the attention of social media users. It was not possible to 

identify who the laughter belonged to from the footage.

There is no confirmed information yet regarding the reason for the 

argument that started the fight. It has also not been announced whether 

anyone was injured or detained in the incident.

No official statement has been released regarding the date the video 

was filmed or whether Japanese police intervened in the incident.

Nagoya, one of Japan's important industrial cities, has long been 

among the regions heavily populated by migrants from Fatsa district 

of Ordu province.

It is known that the labor migration from Fatsa to Nagoya began in 

the late 1980s, and the wave of migration, which grew through kinship 

and hometown ties, created a strong Fatsa community in the city. 

Although different figures regarding the Fatsa population in the region 

are given in open sources, Nagoya and its surroundings are sometimes 

referred to as "Little Fatsa".

Back home, there's distance between them...

"Heist & Release": 3 Turks Who Stole 3.000 Other Turks' Money in Germany, Captured at Airport Trying to Flee

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 27 July 2026)

               Industrial strength breaking and entering.

The mystery surrounding the bank robbery in North Rhine-Westphalia, 

Germany, last December, in which more than 3,000 Turkish citizens 

had their safe deposit boxes emptied, has been unraveled. Three Turks, 

allegedly responsible for the robbery, were apprehended at the airport 

while preparing to leave the country. It was determined that the thieves 

carried out this major robbery while already on trial for other thefts (!), 

and it is claimed that the Rammo gang was behind it.

The robbery, which took place at the Sparkasse Branch in Gelsenkirchen, 

North Rhine-Westphalia, on December 27-29, 2025 and described as the 

"heist of the century", was carried out with professional planning that 

is as good as a movie. 

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the  bank due to the New 

Year's holiday, the robbers infiltrated the building  from the multi-storey 

car park located right next to the branch. Heading towards the emergency 

exit door, which is impossible to open from the outside under normal 

conditions, the ski-masked robbers somehow opened the door and entered.

The good old days, when heists weren't so damn complicated!

The thieves, having reached the bank's archive room, proceeded to drill 

through the reinforced concrete wall of the main vault. Using massive 

industrial drills, the drilling began at midnight and was halted in the early

morning hours when the bank's fire alarm went off. Firefighters and private 

security arrived at the scene. 

However, the tremor in the basement went unnoticed, and since there was 

no smell of smoke, the alarm was deemed a "false alarm" and deactivated. 

The thieves breathed a sigh of relief and resumed their drilling operation ('!). 

After completing the drilling, the gang entered the vault through the 

massive hole they had created and proceeded to break into approximately 

3,100 safe deposit boxes, all belonging to Turkish citizens. The thieves, 

who opened nearly 95% of the safes in the branch, filled sacks with gold 

bars, family heirlooms, cash, and luxury watches. After spending two 

days in the bank, the thieves sped away from the parking lot in a black 

Audi RS 6 on Monday morning, December 29th.

While official authorities stated that the value of the stolen goods was at 

least between 10 and 30 million euros, the victims' lawyers announced 

that the actual loss, including cash and unregistered gold found in the safe, 

could range from 50 million to 300 million euros.

Closing the barn door after the horse ran away...

Police believe the thieves deliberately chose this branch because most 

of the robbed safes belonged to immigrant families of Turkish and Arab 

origin living in the area, so they shifted the investigation in that direction. 

All previous robberies of this nature were examined closely.

Police, noting similarities between the robbery and a bank heist on October 

26, 2023, in which €1.95 million was stolen, placed one of the suspects, 

Tolgay K., under technical and physical surveillance. Following this 

surveillance, police uncovered numerous details and arrested Tolgay K., 

who was on trial at the Bonn Regional Court for both bank robberies, 

after the court hearing.

Ilker C. and Serkan Ö., who are alleged to be accomplices, were 

apprehended and taken into custody at Berlin airport while attempting 

to check in for an international flight. Three other individuals are still 

being sought in connection with the incident. It is claimed that Tolgay K., 

Ilker C., and Serkan Ö., who allegedly carried out the robbery, are linked 

to the Rammo gang, an Arab-origin gang known for organized crime and 

large-scale robberies operating in Berlin and other major cities.

Eye tattoos are mandatory in the gang.

The Rammo family, who emigrated from Mardin to Germany in the 1980s 

and 1990s due to the Lebanese Civil War, first gained notoriety in 1992 

with a murder case in Berlin. Issa Remmo is considered the leader and 

head of the gang, known for organized crime and large-scale robberies. 

In 2017, the gang stole a giant gold coin called the "Big Maple Leaf," 

weighing 100 kilograms and worth approximately 3.3 million euros, 

from the Bode Museum in Berlin.

Two years later, historical diamonds and jewelry worth 113 million euros 

were stolen from a museum in Dresden; in 2023, five members of the 

gang were convicted of this crime.