"Lift & Release": Buyer's (Elevated) Remorse, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 February 2026)

         Taking consumer dissatisfaction to new heights.

A man in Adana, claiming that the brand-new pickup truck he bought 

was defective, displayed the vehicle in front of the dealership by lifting 

it with a crane, attaching a banner that read, "The satisfaction shown 

during the sale is not provided after the sale." (!)

The incident occurred at a car dealership located on Turhan Cemal 

Beriker Boulevard in Kavaklı neighborhood. A man, claiming that the 

pickup truck he purchased brand new was defective, took action after 

the dealership officials refused to compensate him for his losses.

Dealership shrugs: "There's no such thing as bad publicity."

The incident was filmed by bystanders using their mobile phones. 

After speaking with dealership officials for a while, the individual 

ended his protest, lowered his truck from the crane, and left the area.

"Revenge & Release": Video Game Lovers' Break-up Prompts Blackmail Porn, on Social Media

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 2 February 2026)

Blackmail battlegrounds: WhatsApp, Snapshot, Instagram, etc.

Ömer Keleş (28),  who lives in Şanlıurfa, and Hanife K. (25), living

in Istanbul, met online and became lovers via the video game PUBG. 

However (!), when the young girl wanted to break up, Keleş threatened 

to send obscene images ıf Hanife hanım to her family.  Images of other 

women were also found on Keleş's phone.

Enraged after receiving the breakup message, Keleş first hurled insults 

at Hanife K., then sent her a video. The video contained explicit images 

of Hanife K. that Keleş had recorded during video calls. Keleş said, 

"If you leave me, I will create a fake Instagram account."  

Vengeful social media lothario.

He blackmailed Hanife K., saying, "I will tag your family, relatives, 

and colleagues and make sure everyone sees these images." Following 

Hanife K.'s complaint, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office 

launched an investigation.

Keleş stated in his testimony: "Hanife and I had broken up for a while, 

but we started talking again when I went to basic training. During that 

time, I was also seeing another woman named Betül M. who lives in 

Germany. One of the photos found on my phone is of a woman named 

Berrak, whom I was communicating with on Snapchat; the photos 

marked as 'number 1' belong to Betül M.; and the other photos belong 

to Hanife K."

The victim, in a bad mood. 

The relationship with Hanife hanım, which began in a video game, 

continued on WhatsApp, and lasted approximately three months, 

ended in the courthouse. Keleş, in his statement, denied the blackmail 

allegations, saying, "I recorded the videos with Hanife K.'s knowledge." 

Digital materials on Keleş's phone were examined. Besides Hanife K., 

explicit images of two other women were found on the phone.

"Fleece & Release": Turkish Businesswoman, Extraordinarily "Trustworthy", Indicted for Fraud and Visa Chicanery, in New York

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 1 February 2026)

                                               "Trust me."

An indictment has been prepared in the US against Gökçe Güven, a 

Turkish citizen and founder of a fintech company (and whose surname

means "trust" (!)) on charges of fraud.  She is accused of defrauding 

investors by inflating her company's revenues, collecting $7 million, 

and obtaining an O-1A 'extraordinary ability' visa through forged 

documents.

Turkish businesswoman Gökçe Güven (26), founder and CEO of the 

New York-based technology company Kalder Inc., is facing charges of 

misleading investors about the financial status and business partnerships 

of her company, which offers ‘global loyalty programs’ to brands, and 

collecting approximately $7 million, and using these statements to obtain 

an O-1A visa reserved for ‘exceptionally gifted’ individuals.

‘DECEIVING INVESTORS’

According to a press release published on the US Department of Justice 

website on January 29, Güven has been indicted by the Southern District 

of  New York Attorney’s Office on charges of ‘securities fraud, electronic 

fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.’ According to the 

indictment, Güven provided investors with false information about Kalder’s 

revenues, customer numbers, and business partnerships, claiming in her 

‘inflated’ promotional presentations that 26 brands actively used Kalder 

and 53 brands participated in a free trial program.

‘TWO SEPARATE ACCOUNTS WERE KEPT’

According to the allegations, promotional presentations contained false 

information stating that Kalder's revenues had been steadily increasing 

monthly since February 2023, and that its annual recurring revenues had 

reached $1.2 million as of March 2024. Furthermore, Güven kept two 

separate financial records: one containing accurate records prepared by 

an external accounting firm for internal use, and the other containing 

inflated figures distributed to investors and potential investors during 

Kalder's seed funding round in 2024. Güven collected $7 million from 

investors whose 'trust' he had gained through this round.

‘SHE SPONSORED HER OWN COMPANY’

The charges against Güven in the indictment are not limited to financial 

fraud. It is also alleged that Güven committed fraud during the O-1A visa 

application process, which falls under the 'extraordinary ability' category, 

allowing her to remain and work in the US after her student visa expired. 

Güven, who presented her own company's 'achievements' as sponsorship, 

made it appear as if some of the support and reference letters included in 

her application file were written and signed by senior executives.

TOTAL OF 52 YEARS IN PRISON

According to the indictment, Güven could be sentenced to 20 years in 

prison each for securities fraud and electronic fraud, 10 years for visa 

fraud, and two years of mandatory imprisonment for aggravated identity 

theft. FBI Regional Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. stated, 

“Güven is accused of exaggerating her company’s financials and 

partnerships, stealing over seven million dollars from potential investors, 

and using these false statements to illegally obtain a highly prestigious 

visa to enter the United States.” On the other hand, there is no publicly 

available information regarding Güven’s current detention status, 

although it was previously reported that she was arrested on November 27, 

2025.

EVEN MADE IT ONTO THE FORBES LIST

Gökçe Güven, born in 1999, whose name is included in the prestigious 

'30 Under 30-2025' list of the world-renowned economics magazine Forbes, 

says that she completed her high school education at Robert College in 

Turkey, then received education at the University of the Arts London in 

England and MIT in the USA. Güven, who also stated that she graduated 

from Berkeley in the USA and worked in the fields of blockchain and crypto, 

founded Kalder, a fintech-marketing platform, in 2022. She named Kalder 

after the famous innovative artist Alexander Kalder. In over two years, 

Kalder had secured $11 million in funding with a valuation of $35 million.

Don't believe everything you read...

"Kickbox & Release": Drivers Square Off With Kung-fu Moves in Traffic Dispute, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 31 January 2026)

                     Everybody was kung-fu fighting!

At Acemler in Bursa's Nilüfer district, two drivers involved in a 

traffic dispute went after each other as if acting in a Far Eastern

kung-fu film (!).  The scene was captured by the helmet camera of

a motor courier who intervened to separate the combatants, neither

of whom filed a police complaint against the other. 

Bruce Lee would have approved...

"Drop But No Release": Desperate Effort to Retrieve Fallen Snowboard, at Mount Erciyes

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 30 January 2026)

                That must be one special snowboard!

A.C. was riding on a chair-lift at the Erciyes ski resort in Kayseri 

when he dropped his snowboard.  Anxious to retrieve his

snowboard, A.C. hung from the chair-lift, intending to drop down

and retrieve it.

However (!), A.C.'s jacket got tangled on the chair-lift's undercarriage

so he was left hanging from there. Subsequently, he untangled his 

jacket and dropped safely onto a cushion put in place by the resort's

ground crew.  A.C. is said to be in good condition. (no word on the

fate of the snowboard.)

"Leap & Release": Young Turkish Lovers Imitate Romeo and Juliet, in Istanbul's Verona

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 29 January 2026)

                                     They fell in love.

In Istanbul's Ümraniye district, two young lovers leapt in panic 

from a window, in fear of the girl's family's wrath.  The young

man had come to the girl's home, scaled the wall and perched

on a window frame.  

The scene attracted a neighbor's attention and was captured on a

cellphone video. After the two lovers fell to the ground, the girl's older 

brother expressed regret over the turn of events, screaming "Please 

don't die. Nothing will happen to you!"

Life imitates art, again

Turkey's Verona.

"Beat & Release": Cop Shoots Other Cop Who Married His Ex-wife, in Bilecik

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 19 January 2026)

             "Don't Enter! Police!" - sign didn't work.

In Bilecik, the suspect police officer, S.Y., was taken to the 

courthouse after being processed as part of the investigation 

conducted by the Gendarmerie.  S.Y. was arrested by the court on 

charges of  "attempted murder." of his ex-wife's new husband

H.Ç., also a policeman (!). 

In Bahçelievler neighborhood, on Uzun Street, police officer S.Y., 

who works at the Kütahya Provincial Police Department, shot and 

wounded H.Ç., a police officer working at the Mersin Provincial 

Police Department and the new husband (!) of S.Y.'s ex-wife, in the 

leg last night.

H.Ç. was taken to Bilecik Training and Research Hospital, while

S.Y. was taken into custody.