"Bottoms Up & Release": Retiree Fined $72,000 for "Promoting Alcohol" on FB Posts, in Artvin

 

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(T24 website, 16 May 2026)

       Bureaucrats with time on their hands.

A 67-year-old retiree, Şükrü Mısırlıoğlu, is facing an investigation for 

"alcohol advertising" after sharing photos of a "çilingir sofrası" (modest

meal with rakı) with friends on his personal social media account. 

Mısırlıoğlu, who wrote in reference to the food, "We never dealt with 

dragon fruit, buffalo yogurt, shrimp, or other expensive products," is 

being investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for 

violating the ban on alcohol advertising, with a potential administrative 

fine of up to 3,291,000 (about $72,000)  (!)

The investigation against Mısırlıoğlu, a retired Çaykur employee living 

in Hopa district of Artvin, was opened due to his Facebook posts. He 

received a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 

Tobacco and Alcohol Department. Mısırlıoğlu, who shared photos of 

himself drinking beer, whiskey, or raki on his Facebook account, was 

surprised to see the notification stating that he had violated the alcohol 

advertising ban. 

The notification, citing Article 6 of Law No. 4250 on the Monopoly of 

Spirits and Alcoholic Beverages, which prohibits alcohol advertising, 

stated that violations of this prohibition could result in administrative 

fines ranging from 82,000 Turkish Lira to 3,291,000 Turkish Lira. The 

Ministry requested Mısırlıoğlu to submit his defense within 15 days, 

otherwise a decision would be made based on the available information.

Şükrü Bey enjoying a "çilingir sofrası" on a visit to Istanbul.

The document, signed by Ahmet Akpınar, Head of Market Regulation 

and Control Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 

Tobacco and Alcohol Directorate, stated: "In the work carried out by 

our Directorate, it was observed that alcoholic beverages were promoted 

through photographs and videos that could be considered advertisements 

on the aforementioned social media account, and the relevant visuals are 

included in the annex to this letter."

According to the investigation file, in one of the images from the social 

media posts, Mısırlıoğlu is posing with a relative holding a glass of raki 

and drinking beer. In another, he is holding a bottle of whiskey. In 

another photo, according to Mısırlıoğlu's account, he is at a "drinking 

party" with friends while commemorating a deceased friend. The retired 

worker shared this photo with the following words: "They say, 'Don't 

waste food, reduce portion sizes.' Well, our portions never got bigger. 

We never had anything to do with dragon fruit, buffalo yogurt, shrimp, 

and other expensive products. Raki, salad, cow's yogurt, that's all..."

"Loss & Release": Ambulance Keys Lost, Patient Loses Life, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 May 2026)

              Next time, leave the keys in the ignition!

Mehmet Kepir (51), who fell ill in the Yüreğir district of Adana, lost his 

life while being taken to the hospital by a second ambulance that arrived 

half an hour later because the keys of the first ambulance were lost (!).

Şengül Ayağ (38), with whom Kepir lived in a religious marriage, 

filed a criminal complaint alleging negligence. The Provincial Health 

Directorate started an investigation into the allegations.

The incident occurred on the morning of May 7th in the Levent 

neighborhood of Yüreğir district. Mehmet Kepir collapsed at home, 

and his family called the 112 Emergency Call Center. Medical teams 

were dispatched to the address. They provided first aid to Kepir, who 

was found wrapped in a blanket, before taking him to the ambulance. 

Allegedly, the ambulance keys went missing during this time. While

searching for the keys with the help of neighbors, another ambulance 

was called. (!)

Approximately half an hour later, Mehmet Kepir was transferred to 

the second ambulance and taken to the hospital. However, it was 

determined that he had suffered a heart attack, and he died en route. 

A "natural death" report was issued at the nearest private hospital, 

and Mehmet Kepir's body was buried in Buruk Cemetery.

Ouch.

The moments when paramedics in the ambulance that arrived in front 

of the three-story building where Kepir lived and searched for the keys 

before the patient was transferred to another ambulance were captured 

on security camera. The family took the security camera footage as 

evidence and filed a criminal complaint with the Adana Public 

Prosecutor's Office alleging negligence. The Provincial Health 

Directorate has also launched an investigation into the allegations.

Claiming that her husband died as a result of negligence, Şengül 

Ayağ, the mother of one child and her religiously married partner

Kepir, stated that she has filed a criminal complaint against those 

responsible for the incident. A

Şengül hanım said, "Until the ambulance arrived, we wrapped my 

husband in a blanket and carried him downstairs.  The paramedics 

performed first aid and put my husband in the ambulance. During 

this time, they lost the keys; we searched for half an hour but couldn't 

find them. In the meantime, we transferred my husband to the second 

ambulance that arrived. My husband diedon the way. I am filing a 

complaint against those who were negligent in my husband's death."

"Dance and Release": Gorgeous Young Women Can Stop Traffic - This One Paid the Price, in Sakarya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 13 May 2026)

     Dance and fine dedicated to her social media fans.

In Sakarya, a woman who disrupted traffic by dancing in the middle of 

the road was fined 30,662 TL (about $675), while the driver was fined 

8,492 TL (about $185).

Dancing in front of the car with the registration number 54 FR 116 on 

May 9th in Darboğaz Street in Serdivan district, R.D. (24) caused the 

traffic flow to stop.  Working on the video titled "She stopped dozens of 

vehicles and danced" shared on local news sites, the police teams issued 

an administrative fine of 25,000 TL to R.D. (24), whose identity 

was determined, for "praising an act that is subject to administrative 

sanctions by sharing it on social media" and 5,662 TL for 

"acting in a way that creates an obstacle to traffic on the roadway", 

totaling 30,662 TL.

In addition, the driver of the vehicle in front of which R.D. was dancing, 

A.E.Y. (21), was given a total administrative fine of 8,492 TL, consisting 

of 1,246 TL for "not adjusting the speed of his vehicle to the conditions 

required by the traffic situation", 1,246 TL for "driving only with 

parking lights on", 1,000 TL for "driving disrespectfully" and 5,000 TL 

for "having a non-standard suspension system".

The young woman, who caused traffic disruption by dancing in traffic, 

attracted attention by reposting the same video of herself dancing on 

her social media account with the note "The price has been paid," after 

receiving a total administrative fine of 30,662 TL.

"Flush & Release": Fugitive Living in Mosque Toilet for Two Months Nabbed, in Konya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Pusula Konya website, 13 May 2026)

                         There's no place like home...

In Konya, a man who was on the run from the police lived in a toilet (!)

for 60 days. Özgür G., 29, who had a confirmed 15-year prison sentence 

for numerous theft offenses, was apprehended in an unused toilet of a 

mosque during an operation conducted by police teams in Konya.

According to a report by Zafer Samancı from Habertürk; the incident 

took place in the Bosna Hersek neighborhood of the Selçuklu district. 

Following a long-standing arrest warrant against him, teams from the 

Wanted Persons Bureau of the Konya Provincial Police Department's 

Public Security Branch determined that the suspect was hiding in the 

neighborhood through technical and physical surveillance.

Police teams, who had been working in the area for about a week, 

determined that G. was staying in an abandoned toilet section of a 

mosque. Following security measures taken in the surrounding area, 

the suspect was apprehended during the raid.

He'll have to share bathroom facilities henceforth.

Police investigations revealed that Özgür G. had been living in the 

mosque's toilet for about two months to avoid being caught. A search 

of the suspect yielded a knife, scissors, and numerous keys.

Özgür G., who was taken into custody, was arrested by the court after 

the procedures at the police station and sent to prison.

"Blink & Release": Unauthorized "Flashers" Prove Costly for Flashy Lady, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 May 2026)

                                    Life in the fast lane...

After Begüm Ece Pazarcı, the lawyer daughter of journalist Emin 

Pazarcı, shared videos on social media of herself driving a car with 

flashing lights in Istanbul, Istanbul Police Department teams took

action.

Following investigations by police teams, the vehicle was quickly 

identified, and it was determined that the person inside did not have 

any security detail.  Consequently, the vehicle was impounded for 

30 days, and her driver's license was suspended for 30 days.

Begüm Ece Pazarcı was also fined 173,392 TL (about $3.800) and

she  removed the video from circulation following public outcry.

Whoops!

"Fleece & Release": Turks Best Defense Against Phone Fraud - "I Don't Speak Turkish!"

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 11 May 2026)

               Thinking of learning Urdu henceforth,

Suna Ülger (60), a retired woman from Antalya, was defrauded of 

700,000 TL (about $15,500) after believing she had invested in an 

investment fund through a link she saw on social media. Convinced by 

the promise of earnings supported by artificial intelligence, and having 

her phone accessed remotely, her bank accounts were taken over. Ülger 

said, "The people I dealt with were quite professional. Therefore, no one 

should say, 'I won't be defrauded'." (!)

Suna hanım said, "This news report featured an interview between a 

government official and a well-known, reputable journalist. The interview 

stated that banks weren't providing sufficient returns to their customers, 

while some reliable investment institutions could offer higher returns. 

It specifically mentioned that with the development of artificial intelligence 

technology, the risk in such investments had decreased and the potential 

for increased returns. First, I checked the accuracy of the news. Thinking 

the link below the interview was reliable, I clicked on it."

Suna hanım, stating that she initially made small gains, said, "The link 

contained information suggesting that by investing approximately 11,000 

TL, small gains could be made through an AI-powered system, contributing 

to daily expenses. After filling out the form, I was contacted. It was 

supposedly an exchange and investment network. I did some research 

to check if such a company actually existed. I saw some records with 

similar names. The person who introduced themselves on the phone said, '

Suna hanım, welcome as a new investor,' and provided guidance. An 

account was created through the link sent to me. Then, cryptocurrency 

wallet accounts were opened. I transferred money from my bank account 

to these accounts. The money I invested appeared as approximately 

$229 in the system. Initially, small gains such as $10, $11, and $6 were

shown."

She added that "Approximately $50 was sent back to my account. The 

people I dealt with were quite professional. Therefore, no one should say, 

'I won't be scammed.' They really use very professional methods. I 

thought I was proceeding cautiously, aiming to earn a small extra income. 

However, at a certain point, I was asked to perform a screen-sharing-like 

operation via my phone. I unknowingly accepted this request. After this 

stage, they gained remote access to my phone and accessed all my data. 

They took control of my bank accounts, social media accounts, and other 

personal information on my phone. Loans were taken from my bank 

accounts, and my advance limits were used. They also accessed my 

phone book, called my relatives, and used my name..."

Suna hanım said that she lost thousands of liras in seconds, said, "I 

announced that people should absolutely not trust those who make 

investment recommendations in my name. My aim was to prevent 

other citizens from becoming victims. In total, I was defrauded of 

approximately 700,000 TL. This amount was withdrawn from my 

accounts through loan applications and the use of my advance limits. 

I suffered a very serious loss, almost equivalent to a retiree's annual 

income."

The Deputy Chairman of the Consumer Confederation (TÜKONFED), 

lawyer İbrahim Güllü, also stated that fraud methods frequently change, 

saying, "These fraudsters generally imitate public institutions and 

organizations, using images and photos of well-known public figures 

and government officials. In this way, they create a sense of trust in 

consumers. When users access these platforms, promises of high profits 

are offered, and small gains are shown to gain their trust. Consumers 

who believe this initially think they are making small profits through 

'phishing' methods. However, afterwards, the fraudsters can obtain 

personal data, take out loans in the victims' names, and empty their 

bank accounts."

Güllü emphasized the need for caution when approaching virtual media 

content, stating, "These types of incidents are generally within the scope 

of organized crime and have the nature of gang activity. The phones and 

communication channels used by fraudsters are often traceable. Therefore,

 it is of great importance that prosecutors act quickly to apprehend the 

perpetrators. Fraudsters operate with extreme professionalism, using 

persuasive visuals and communication methods, and acting by analyzing 

human psychology very well. The necessary complaints have been filed 

with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the cybercrime units within the 

scope of information crimes for Ms. Suna. We hope that the public 

authorities will identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice in a 

short time, and that the victims' losses will be compensated."

"Ride & Release": Toddler Girl, Age 2, Boards Bus Unnoticed, in Alaplı

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 May 2026)

Little enough to ride for free, little enough to ride your knee...

In Alaplı district of Zonguldak, a 2-year-old girl boarded a public bus 

while her family was at a phone shop (!). The driver, Gündüz Çimen, 

noticed the child on his way home. The moment was captured by the 

bus's security camera, and the driver took the child to her family.

The incident occurred yesterday at a public bus stop in Alaplı district. 

Gündüz Çimen, the driver of a public bus coming from Karadeniz 

Ereğli to Alaplı, got out of the vehicle to buy bread after pulling up 

to the stop. At that moment, a 2-year-old girl crawled onto the bus, 

which was parked with its door open, and sat in the back seat.

Gündüz bey had a great story for the evening dinner table.

As the driver got back into the vehicle and started driving away, 

he heard a crying sound, looked back, and noticed the child. Çimen 

calmed the crying child and reported the situation to the authorities. 

Returning to the garage, Çimen took the child to the police. 

Through their investigation, it was determined that the child had left 

her family while they were at a phone shop. Çimen, along with the 

police, returned the child to her family.  The entire incident was 

recorded by the vehicle's security camera.