"Vote & Release": A Perennial Candidate Over 30 Years But Never Elected, in Sandıklı

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 September 2026)

                  "Vote for me!...Please vote for me."

Menderes Koçak, a resident of the Sandıklı district of Afyonkarahisar 

who had run as a candidate in parliamentary, mayoral, and local 

headman elections over the past 30 years without ever winning (!), has 

passed away.

Menderes Koçak, a farmer residing in the village of Kızılca in the 

Sandıklı district, passed away yesterday at Afyonkarahisar State 

Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for an illness for 

some time.

The candidacy journey of Menderes Koçak, a father of three, began 

in 1994 when he ran for village headman (*muhtar*). Koçak ran for 

office a total of 19 times—including five bids for mayor of Sandıklı as 

an independent, one for Member of Parliament for Afyonkarahisar as 

an independent, and twelve for village headman—but never won an 

election. Most recently, he stood as an independent candidate for 

mayor of Sandıklı in the March 31, 2024, Local Administration 

General Elections.

The one election he didn't want to win...

"Smuggle & Release": Drug Suspects From Colombia and Mexico Flee in Pilot Uniforms, at Istanbul Airport

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 17 September 2026)

                   He's got another plane to catch...

Customs teams, suspicious of a passenger arriving in Istanbul from 

Mexico, searched the individual's luggage and seized a total of 26 

kilograms of a white powder—suspected to be cocaine—contained 

in 23 packages. It was determined that two individuals who had 

accompanied the detained person to Turkey were drug couriers and 

had left the airport wearing pilot uniforms (!). While two people have 

been arrested in connection with the incident, efforts to apprehend

 the two fugitives are ongoing.

A passenger identified as O.A.V.F., a Colombian national, entered 

Turkey by passing through the "green channel," which signifies 

having no goods subject to customs declaration. Customs officers

subsequently stopped the passenger within the terminal. A search of 

the passenger's carry-on luggage revealed an area of ​​unusual density 

within a suitcase. A detailed search resulted in the seizure of a total 

of 26,340 grams of narcotics contained in 23 packages. The teams 

determined that the seized substance was powdered cocaine.

Teams examined the footage to identify any individuals who might 

be connected to the case. The investigation led to the identification 

of Antonio Viana Florez and Ivan Enrique De Castro Hernandez as 

persons believed to be linked to the suspects. It was determined that 

Ivan Enrique De Castro Hernandez was wearing a pilot's uniform 

and that both suspects had left the airport. As part of the operations 

conducted in Istanbul, it was found that Hernandez had checked 

out of the hotel where he was staying, and efforts to locate the 

suspect are ongoing.

It was reported that the other suspect leaving the airport, A.F.H.A., 

delivered the carry-on suitcase he was carrying to the hotel where 

Mexican national Roberto Carlos Serrano Astorga was staying, 

and was subsequently apprehended at the hotel. A search of the 

suitcase received by Astorga revealed a white powdery substance—

suspected to be cocaine—weighing a total of 25 kilograms 

and 160 grams.

The seized narcotics were determined to have an estimated market 

value of 206 million TL (about $4.2million). Two suspects were 

arrested as part of the investigation conducted by the Gaziosmanpaşa 

Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the incident, while arrest 

warrants were issued for two other suspects who remain at large.

"Lock & (No) Release": Wife Locked Hubby in Kitchen and Set House Ablaze, in Aydın

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 16 September 2026)

"I told him to learn how to cook or die trying!"

Derya Çiçek (31)—the injured wife of Mazlum Çiçek (32), who lost 

his life in a house fire in the Efeler district of Aydın—was arrested on 

charges of "intentional killing of a spouse" after being referred to the 

courthouse following her medical treatment. In her statement, Derya

hanım claimed that her husband, Mazlum Çiçek, had locked himself 

in the kitchen, poured fuel on himself, and set himself on fire. (!)

A fire broke out around 04:00 on August 16 in a second-floor apartment 

of a building on 1067 Street in the İstiklal Neighborhood. Upon 

notification, fire, medical, and police teams were dispatched to the scene. 

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in approximately one hour. An 

inspection of the apartment revealed that Mazlum Çiçek had lost his life.

Derya hanım, who was injured in the fire, was taken to the hospital 

after receiving initial medical attention at the scene.

As part of the investigation into the fire, an inspection of the home 

revealed that the door to the kitchen—where Mazlum Çiçek's body was 

found—was locked (!). Additionally, it was determined that Derya Çiçek 

had packed a bag containing valuables before leaving the house during 

the fire. Reports indicated that the day before the fire, she had gone to 

a gas station and purchased gasoline in a canister, claiming, "My husband 

is with the car; we ran out of gas, so I came to get some." (!!)

First (and last) time he ever went into the kitchen...

Expanding the scope of the investigation, the Aydın Chief Public 

Prosecutor's Office ordered Derya hanım's detention. Authorities are 

investigating the suspicion that she poured fuel in the kitchen, set it 

ablaze, and locked Mazlum Çiçek inside.

Derya hanım, who had been receiving treatment at İzmir City Hospital, 

was discharged. Upon being referred to the courthouse, she stated in her 

testimony that she and Mazlum Çiçek frequently quarreled over jealousy 

and that her husband often spoke of wanting to commit suicide; she 

claimed she had gone to the gas station at Mazlum Çiçek's insistence. 

Çiçek said, "Mazlum forced me to go to the gas station and buy gasoline. 

Afterward, he locked the door, poured the fuel, and set himself on fire."

Police sketch artist's rendering of the Çiçek couple's relationship:

Çiçek was arrested and sent to prison on the charge of "intentional killing 

of a spouse." Upon hearing the court's decision at the courthouse, Derya 

hanım said, "I will never set foot in there; my life is ruined anyway. Don't 

film me and humiliate me. God damn you, Mazlum. May you find no 

peace in that grave; you’ve destroyed my life. I didn't do anything. 

The truth will come out."

"Clean & Release": Cruise Ship Crew Members "Happily" Collect Trash in Marmaris

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA News Agency, 16 September 2026)

"What a nice break in the monotony of cruising the world." (!)

Crew members from the cruise ship MSC DIVINA, currently visiting 

the Marmaris district of Muğla, conducted a cleanup operation in the 

Aktaş area to raise awareness about environmental sensitivity. Teams 

from the Marmaris Municipality’s Cleaning Affairs Department also 

supported the initiative, which saw the participation of young crew 

members hailing from various parts of the world.

During the activity—organized to foster social awareness regarding 

the environment—the crew collected waste found in the Aktaş area. 

Barış Ünlü, the Cleaning Affairs Coordinator for Marmaris 

Municipality, also accompanied the team during the cleanup.

Captain to crew: "Other duties, as assigned."

The young crew members, who expressed a desire to contribute to 

environmental protection not only in their work zones but also in the 

cities they visit (!), highlighted the importance of environmental 

cleanliness and conveyed a message to citizens about the need to 

protect nature.

"Confiscate & (No) Release": Contraband Drugs and Guns Worth Million$ Seized in Mersin and Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 September 2026)

       The underside of cargo shipping.

350 kilograms of cocaine worth 1.5 billion TL (about $31 million!),

hidden beneath a dry cargo ship, were seized at the port of Mersin. 

Nine suspects were detained in connection with the incident.

As part of an investigation launched by the Mersin Chief Public 

Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Mersin Anti-Narcotic Crimes 

Branch and the Intelligence Branch conducted a coordinated operation. 

They determined that narcotics were to be retrieved—with the help of 

divers—from the underside of the hull of a dry cargo ship that had 

arrived at the port of Mersin from Brazil. During the operation, teams 

seized 350 kilograms of cocaine, valued at 1.5 billion TL, contained in 

12 packages hidden in the engine cooling water compartment beneath 

the ship's outer hull. 

Nine individuals—Ö.D.A., M.D., M.S., A.E., Y.T., B.B., E.B., E.Y., 

and O.G.—were detained in connection with the incident. Diving 

equipment and an underwater scooter were also seized during the 

operation. The suspects were taken to the police station for processing.

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

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 September 2026)

In an operation targeting arms trafficking conducted by Gendarmerie 

teams in Istanbul, 108 pistols with a market value of approximately 

15 million TL (about $308,000) were seized from the trunk of a taxi 

stopped in Eyüpsultan. Two detained suspects were arrested 

by the court.

Suspect seems familiar...

"Save & Release": Fallen Cow Rescued by Caring Humans, in Erzincan

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(İHA news agency, 13 September 2026)

         "Maybe these humans aren't so bad after all."

A cow that tumbled down a 250-meter precipice in the Üzümlü district 

of Erzincan was rescued alive after a six-hour operation.

The incident occurred around 16:30 in the Sarılar locality of the Üzümlü 

district. A report was made to the 112 Emergency Call Center stating 

that a cow had tumbled down a precipice from a steep slope. Following 

the report, teams from the Erzincan Municipality Fire Department were 

dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters don't discriminate.

A rescue operation was launched under the coordination of the fire 

department teams, with support from AFAD and Gendarmerie personnel.

After approximately six hours of dedicated effort, the animal, which 

had been stranded on the precipice, was successfully retrieved alive.

Once the necessary procedures (!) were completed, the rescued animal 

was transported to a safe area to be returned to its owner.

"Betroth & Release": Groom Labels Bride "My Maid", Much to Her Dad's Displeasure, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Telgraf.net website, 11 September 2026)

              Every picture tells a story...

In an incident that went viral on social media and reportedly took 

place in Ankara, a father flew into a rage upon seeing the wedding 

car his daughter was about to board after the ceremony; the car 

bore the inscription "Here comes my maid" on the back. (!)

Unable to stomach the idea of ​​his daughter—whom he had raised all 

these years—being labeled a "maid," the father-in-law confronted the 

groom. The argument reportedly escalated, leading the father-in-law 

to slap the groom. Bystanders intervened to break up the altercation 

before it could worsen.

The dispute over the "maid" label was eventually resolved amicably 

after the groom apologized, explaining that he had gone too far and 

intended the inscription merely as a joke. Meanwhile, social media 

users sided firmly with the father-in-law, commenting: "No father 

would accept such disrespect. A man calls his daughter 'my princess' 

at home, yet the groom calls her a 'maid'? No one would give their 

daughter to a moron like that."

Groom imagined his bride this way...