"Beat & Release": Bad Whisky Kills at Least 33, Mostly Turkmens and Uzbeks, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 January 2025)

           "We only sell it to people we know." (!) 

In Istanbul on 13 January Gültekin Memecan (62), in Bakırköy,

and Turkmenistan citizen Agajan Başımov (34), in Başakşehir,

died because they drank adulterated whisky.  Since 13 January,

the number of dead from bad whisky has risen to 33 and the

number of those poisoned by it has risen to 86 (!).  Out of 48

people in hospitals, three have been administered intubation to

keep them alive., whereas two others fled from hospitals.

Consequently, police have increased inspection of  stores selling

liquor and on 15 January a raid yielded 32,800 liters of bad

whisky, with 9 people taken into custody and six of them 

jailed.  In the police raid, 227 full bottles of bad whisky were

seized, along with one distillation tank.  

Agazhan Ovezov and Amangul Douranova, who sold the bad

whisky to Agajan Başımov on 13 January, were among those

jailed.  In his statement, Ovezov "explained" that "I sell  illegal

vodka I bought from a liquor store in Fatih in my bakery.  Each

week I get 15-20 plastic bottles of the illegal vodka for 80 TL

each and sell them to Turkmens and Uzbeks for 100 TL.  I

myself don't produce illegal whisky.  In the last few days

I got 40 plastic bottles of illegal vodka from them.  I only

sell to people I know." (!)

(Bad) Whisky a-Go-Go, Istanbul

(Good) Whisky a-Go-Go, LA

"Beat & Release": Policeman Kills 5 Family Members to Avenge Son's Suicide, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 January 2025)

           It's kind of a mess...

           but it'll have to do till the real mess gets here.

In Adana's Yüreğir district, workers from an internet

infrastructure firm knocked on the door of "dolmuş"

(collective taxi) driver Yusuf Tehçi (64) yesterday

morning.  Although they had come based on an

appointment, no one answered the door so the workers

looked around the 2-story house.  Noticing blood stains, the

workers alerted police. 

With assistance from a locksmith, police entered the house

and found the bodies of Yusuf Tehçi, his wife Hüsne Tehçi (61), 

and her sister Semiha Tehçi (53).  All of them had been stabbed

to death during breakfast (!). 

Police began an investigation and went to the home of the

Tehçi couple's married daughter Ferdane Tehçi (37) in Tarsus,

only to find Ferdane hanım also dead by stabbing.  Her son

Ökkeş Berk had committed suicide last year at the age of 16 

and her other two children were not found in the house.  

Ferdane hanım's husband Mehmet Tehçi (43), a policeman (!)

became the chief suspect.  It turned out that he had taken the

other two children with him to Adana and went to find his

brother-in-law İsmail Tehçi, a teacher in Çukurova district.

Mehmet bey summoned İsmail bey from class, took him by

car to a vacant lot and shot him to death in front of the two 

children.  

Having already killed 5 relatives, Mehmet bey called his

father Ökkeş Tehçi and told him "you're next!"  However,

noticing police in Ceyhan district, Mehmet bey panicked, 

left the children in the car and fled on foot.  He was 

captured, though, and the two children, aged 4 and 9, were

put in the custody of social services. 

Evidently, Mehmet bey held his family members responsible

for his son's suicide last August and settled scores. 

Axis of Evil

"Beat & Release": Taxi Driver Videos Assault on Woman Passenger to Make His Wife Jealous (!), in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 January 2025)

                              He did it all for love.

In Istanbul, police received a tip that on 10 January a taxi 

driver had shared videos of himself on a taxi driver group's

social media site sexually harassing a woman passenger by

either getting her drunk or drugging her.  (!)

As a result, taxi driver Bayram Navruz (28), who has a 

police record of four previous crimes, was arrested in his

mother's home.  In his statement to police, Navruz "explained"

that he and his wife are divorcing and that he met the woman

in the video six months ago.  He said that the videos were

intended to make his wife jealous but that after sending them

to her he was subjected to threats from both her and her

brother. 

When no videos were found on his phone Navruz was 

released from custody, but after the videos surfaced elsewhere

he was re-arrested and jailed for "importunate behavior and

sexual assault".  

Bayram Navruz, in happier times.

 

"Beat & Release": Deviant "Lothario" Nearly Rapes Elderly Woman but Goes Free, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 January 2025)

              Couldn't get a cell even if he wanted one.

In June 2023, on the first day of Kurban Bayramı (feast of the

sacrifice) in Bursa's Orhangazi district,  N.T. (84), who was 

partially paralyzed, nearly deaf and living alone, left her door 

open to allow holiday visitors to drop by.  Serkan Tutkun (23 

and whose surname means "madly in love" (!))  took advantage 

of the open door to enter and tell N.T. "I'm a doctor. I've come 

to examine you."

Tutkun "examined" N.K. by nearly raping her and then rifling 

through her belongings for money.  When she screamed neighbors 

came and Tutkun fled but was captured by police.  N.T. died two 

weeks later of bleeding in the brain.

In his statement, Tutkun "explained" in graphic detail how he

undressed N.T. and fondled her.  He claimed his goal was to

find money for his psychological medicines.  For these various

crimes Tutkun was sentenced to 15 years in jail. 

However (!), an appeals court acquitted Tutkun of the 

"intentionally wounding" charge and released him on judicial

supervision so he is now back among us. 

Tutkun wore this t-shirt in court. Evidently it  influenced

the judge...

"Beat & Release": Game of "Hide & Seek" With Police Ends Badly for Fugitive, in Adana

türkçe links to orginal Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 January 2025)

       "Catch me if you can!"

In Adana's Çukurova district, police set out to arrest fugitive

Oğulcan Şahin (21), who has a police record of 123 crimes (!).

Şahin escaped from prison four months ago.  Police located

Şahin's car on Adnan Menderes Boulevard but when they

stopped the car Şahin was not inside. 

Reacting to this failed capture by the police, Şahin haughtily

posted this taunt on social media: "Look hard at the license 

plates.  Maybe you'll find me."  

The day after this post, police surveilled Şahin's girlfriend and 

determined that he was hiding out at a house in Seyhan 

district, preparing to flee Turkey.  When police broke down

the door and seized Şahin he said to them "uh, I wasn't 

expecting you."  (!)

A search of the house yielded a Kalashnikov artillery rifle,

an unlicensed revolver with 35 bullets, a bullet-proof vest,

narcotics and a sensitive weighing scale.  In his statement,

Şahin "explained" the guns, saying "I have enemies. I kept

the guns for self-defense."  He was jailed and the guns are

being examined to determine whether they were used in

other crimes. 

They could.

"Fleece & Release": When "Holy Water" is Mixed With Tap Water is It Still Holy?, Controversy in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 January 2025)

            "I haven't gotten any complaints so far..."

Police in Adana received a tip that fake "zemzem" (holy water)

was being produced and sold at a depot in Seyhan district.  

Following physical and technical surveillance, police determined

that depot owner Mehmet Bilal Ç. was mixing "zemzem" brought

from Mecca by TIR (long-haul trucks) drivers with regular tap

water (!). 

Mehmet Bilal Ç. was bottling the fake "zemzem" and sending it

to Istanbul for nationwide distribution.  On 9 January police raided

the depot and found 16,000 liters of fake "zemzem", thousands of

bottles and 300 rolls of labels for the bottles.

Suspect Mehmet Bilal Ç. has a police record of  crimes such as

"intentional wounding", "threatening", "insulting" and "impeding

performance of duty".  In his statement given to police after he

was taken into custody, Mehmet Bilal Ç. "explained" that 

"Zemzem" water is quite popular so I wanted to make some

money off this popularity.  I make almost all the "zemzem" in

Turkey.  I don't think the "zemzem" is fake.  So far I haven't

gotten any complaints." (!)

"Fleece & Release": Instagram Antique Sale Gets Complicated, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 January 2025)

               Yet another social media horror story. 

In Istanbul, Serpil F., having an interest in antiques, became a 

follower of "galatadan.antika", the Instagram account of  Yavuz

Borucu, a collector and seller of antiques.  Serpil hanım bought

a number of these antiques and she told Borucu that she wanted

to open her own antiques shop and was collecting items for this

purpose.  She added, though, that right now she didn't have such

a place to put the antiques.

In response, Borucu told Serpil hanım that he would keep the

items Serpil hanım purchased from him in his own depot for

the time being.  Subsequently, Serpil hanım received a list

and photographs of the antiques she had purchased from 

Borucu for 4 million TL (about $113,000).  However (!),

when she had these items sent to her she received odds and

ends of metal scrap instead. 

When Serpil hanım  went to Borucu's workplace in the Balat

neighborhood, Borucu and his father denied receiving any

money from her for the items and chased her from their

shop.  Serpil then tried to recoup her items and/or money

through court action but was threatened by Borucu, who was

then ordered by the court to stay away from Serpil hanım

for two months. 

In a counterattack, Borucu's lawyer asserted that the antique

items Serpil hanım wanted were sent to her but she never

paid Borucu for them.  The court accepted this objection and

lifted the 2-month restraining order imposed on Borucu (!).

Balat is itself an antique.