"Betroth & (No) Release": Vehicular Hijinks Added to Marriage Proposal, in Erzurum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA News Agency, 28 October 2026)

                        "She better say "yes"!"

In Erzurum, Cenkay Şahin (28) and his friends arrived in a convoy to 

formally ask for a young woman’s hand in marriage, setting off 

fireworks and lighting flares in the neighborhood. While Şahin’s 

family went inside the house for the proposal, his friends—using a 

car that had been brought to the scene on a tow truck—spun the 

vehicle’s wheels, causing it to fishtail and sway. (!) Local residents 

watched the spectacle from their balconies.

Truck driver Cenkay Şahin and Aleyna G. (20), whom he met two 

years ago, decided to get married. Wanting to surprise his girlfriend, 

Şahin had his modified car loaded onto a flatbed tow truck and 

played her favorite song through the vehicle's sound system. 

Accompanied by a 14-vehicle convoy, Şahin drove from the Yenişehir 

district to the Kazım Yurdalan neighborhood—where his fiancée-to-be 

lives—with everyone honking their horns along the way. As Cenkay 

Şahin entered the street carrying flowers, followed by his family and 

the convoy, he and his friends lit flares and set off fireworks, illuminating 

the night. Local residents stepped out onto their balconies to watch the 

spectacle. 

Adding a new tradition to the hand-in-marriage proposal.

While the family went inside the house to formally ask for the 

bride’s hand in marriage, the groom-to-be’s friends made the car on the 

tow truck spin its wheels and rock back and forth. (!)

Cenkay Şahin said, “I met my girlfriend two years ago. To show her 

how much I love and value her—and to impress her—I brainstormed 

with my friends. We decided to head to her family’s home for the 

formal marriage proposal—a tradition known as ‘asking for the girl’—

with a motorcade. We took a modified car and loaded it onto a tow 

truck. Starting from the Yenişehir neighborhood in Erzurum, we 

traveled in a 14-vehicle convoy, passing through the Yunus Emre area, 

before arriving at her home. We lit flares, set up a special event, and 

even hired a photographer.”

Hopefully, the marriage will be sturdier than the balcony.

"I had to play the song that my girlfriend loves so much. We played it 

using the car’s sound system, and then we headed upstairs. Afterward, 

my friends made a bit of noise in front of the building; I would like to 

apologize on their behalf to the local residents for the disturbance. 

My girlfriend was very pleased with this surprise—she was deeply 

touched. In fact, people saw us from both the back and front balconies! 

She was so happy, and seeing her happy made me incredibly happy, too. 

Her family has given their blessing, and, God willing, we will hold our 

wedding as soon as possible," he said. 

Erzurum the center of the world for the happy couple.

"Pretend & Release": Suspect Feigned Fall, Stole Truck, But Hit Another Before Arrest, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 October 2026)

       "I've fallen and I can't get up!" - don't fall for it.

In Adana, a suspect who jumped in front of and climbed onto 

a light commercial vehicle—then stole it when the driver (!) 

stepped out—has been apprehended. 

On Kurtuluş Street in the Hurmalı neighborhood of the Seyhan 

district, 29-year-old Mustafa G. jumped in front of a light 

commercial vehicle (license plate 01 FFV 47) driven by 

42-year-old Seyithan O., forcing it to a stop before climbing 

onto it.

Seizing the opportunity when the driver stepped out of the 

vehicle, Mustafa G. got inside and fled the scene. Following a 

report, the Provincial Police Department’s Public Security 

Branch launched an operation to track down the suspect.

Mustafa Bey's short-lived acting career...

Authorities determined that the suspect, Mustafa G., had 

collided with a panel van (!) in the Meydan neighborhood 

while driving the stolen vehicle; he was subsequently caught 

on a side street following a pursuit.

Meanwhile, the theft was captured by a security camera. 

The footage shows the suspect lying across the front of the 

vehicle before getting in and driving away once the driver 

stepped out at a traffic light.

"Stress & Release": To Avoid the Usual Wedding Complications, Having a "Fake Wedding", in Uşak

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Yeni Asır website, 26 October 2026)

   Slogan: "For Fun Instead of Drama!"

A wedding in Uşak that’s taking social media by storm! It’s called a 

"Fake Wedding"—students hit the dance floor, with neither a bride nor 

a groom in sight! 

There’s no bride and no groom, yet the gold, the jewelry, and the 

festivities are all completely real! University students in Uşak have pulled 

off an ingenious event to bypass the soaring costs of weddings and the 

tension that often arises with relatives. Ömer Karahan, a columnist for 

*Günaydın*, explores all the intriguing details of this "Fake Wedding"—

which has set social media abuzz—in today’s column. Here is a look 

behind the scenes of this extraordinary celebration...

No mothers-in-law, no sisters-in-law, and no squabbles between the 

bride’s and groom’s families. There’s no keeping track of who gifted 

what, and no relatives ending up offended by the time the wedding 

wraps up! But there is cake, there’s *çiftetelli* (traditional folk dance), 

and there’s *halay* (line dancing). There’s even gold! And that’s the 

most fun part: at a typical wedding, you’re the one giving gold—but 

at this one, you might actually win some.

Unpleasant wedding murders like this will be avoided.

The gifts presented during the ceremonial exchange will be distributed 

via a raffle, with one lucky person walking away with a gram of gold. 

Given the current economic climate, it’s enough to make anyone wish, 

"I hope the same happens to me!" The event will take place on the 

evening of October 31st at Deniz Wedding Halls in Uşak, with tickets 

priced at 333 TL (about $6.50) per person. 

For groups of four or more, the cost is 300 liras. In essence, these 

young people started with a very simple yet creative idea: does someone 

actually have to get married in order to have a good time? They’ve taken 

all the enjoyable aspects of weddings while stripping away the stress, 

the expenses, and the endless, tiresome squabbles between families.

Among the special guests...

I think they’ve done a great job. What’s more, they’ve turned it into 

something truly entertaining by playfully poking fun at our traditional 

wedding culture. Who knows—perhaps before long, we’ll start seeing 

fake engagement parties and mock *kına gecesi* (henna nights) as well.

An "alternative" map of Uşak, just for the fake wedding!

"Flee & Release": Two Teenage Girls Fall to Ground When Bed Sheet Rips, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA News Agency, 25 October 2026)

Off to a good start, but...

In Küçükçekmece, 16-year-old H.U.—who had returned home 

after escaping from a state-run care home—and her friend, 

16-year-old A.R., were seriously injured after a bedsheet they 

were using to escape from a third-story window tore, causing 

them to fall. Both girls were taken to the hospital, and it has 

been reported that one of them is in critical condition.

The incident occurred this morning on the third floor of a 

five-story apartment building on İkbal Street in the Gültepe 

neighborhood. Ö.U., who lost his wife some time ago, had 

previously placed his daughter, H.U., in a care home. 

According to reports, H.U. escaped from the facility today with her 

friend, A.R., and arrived at her father’s home. Upon discovering 

this, Ö.U. locked the two girls in a room to prevent them from 

leaving and notified the care home authorities. The girls then 

attempted to escape by lowering a bedsheet from the third-story 

window. 

...you gotta read the instructions first!

However (!), as they tried to climb down, the sheet tore; one 

girl fell to the ground, while the other landed on the roof of a 

coal shed.  Following a report, police and medical teams were 

dispatched to the scene. Paramedics provided initial intervention 

before transporting the girls to the hospital by ambulance. It has 

been reported that one of the girls, A.R., is in critical condition.

"Monkey Business & Release": Tiny Macaque Monkey, Named "The Strange One", Gets First-class Health Care, in Gaziantep

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Haberler.com website, 24 October 2026)

                        "The strange one"

A 3-month-old male macaque, which had been brought into 

Turkey illegally and subsequently seized in Afyonkarahisar, 

has recovered following treatment at the Gaziantep Wildlife 

Center. The young macaque, named 'Garip' (meaning 'the 

strange one') (!), has become the center's mascot; he will be 

kept under supervised conditions for 1.5 to 2 months 

to ensure he integrates well with other young macaques.

During inspections conducted by Nature Conservation and 

National Parks teams in Afyonkarahisar, a baby macaque was 

discovered in the possession of an individual; the animal was 

taken into protective custody and brought to the Gaziantep 

Wildlife Center.

Upon arrival at the center, it was determined that the infant 

macaque was struggling to feed and had concerning blood test 

results, leading to its admission to the animal hospital for 

treatment.

Veterinarians performed blood tests and ultrasound exams, 

and the macaque was kept in intensive care for a period. 

During this time, it received intravenous fluids, vitamins, and 

minerals; the infant responded positively to the treatment and 

began to feed once again.

"Garip" adjusting well to his mascot role.

Named "Garip" (meaning "strange" or "peculiar") by its caretakers, 

the young macaque was moved to a separate enclosure—where 

it can see other young macaques but cannot make physical 

contact—once its health returned to normal.

As the youngest macaque at the center, Garip will remain under 

observation for some time to ensure it can adapt to the other young 

macaques; plans are in place to integrate it into the group within 

1.5 to 2 months.

Celal Özsöyler, Head of the Wildlife Conservation and Veterinary 

Services Department for the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, 

told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that the infant underwent a 

comprehensive health check upon its arrival at the center.

"We kept it (him!) in intensive care for a while"

"Beat & Release": Killers, Still on the Lam, Leave a Trail of Blood, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 October 2026)

                     No "honeymoon phase" this time.

Mehmet Emin Yüksel, a suspect in an armed attack at a 

residential complex in Istanbul—which left Yasin Binarci dead 

and Mehmet Işık wounded—has been found dead, having been 

shot inside his car on a vacant lot next to a construction site.

Police were dispatched to a residential complex in Istanbul’s 

Büyükçekmece district following reports of gunfire around 

1:30 PM the other day. Upon checking the location, officers 

discovered that Yasin Binarci (26) and Mehmet Işık had been 

targeted in an armed attack inside an apartment on the 17th 

floor. Medical personnel arriving at the scene confirmed that 

Yasin Binarci had died, while the wounded Mehmet Işık was 

transported to a hospital after receiving initial treatment. 

A search of the premises yielded three handguns and a quantity 

of narcotics.

What goes around comes around...

Following the attack, police launched an investigation to 

apprehend the suspect and discovered an abandoned car—

license plate 06 CJN 835—on a vacant lot next to a construction 

site in the Bağcılar district. Finding an individual lying 

motionless inside the vehicle, officers alerted medical teams, 

who confirmed that the person had died. Identification efforts 

revealed the deceased to be Mehmet Emin Yüksel (22), a 

suspect in the attack at the residential complex. Crime scene 

investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings and a knife 

from the vehicle.

Further investigation indicated that the car had been left at the 

site by three individuals, who subsequently fled on foot. 

Police teams have launched an effort to identify and apprehend 

the 3 suspects.

"Meow & Release": Cat Prowling Butcher's Display Sparks Outrage, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 October 2026)

                         Taste-tester.

Footage from a national chain supermarket in the Mudanya 

district  of Bursa has sparked a backlash on social media. 

A cat was captured on a mobile phone camera entering a 

refrigerated display case in the butcher section, opening a 

package, and eating the meat (!). The District Directorate of 

Agriculture and Forestry has imposed a fine of 52,800 TL 

(about $1,000) on the store.

A shopper recorded the incident on their mobile phone as a cat, 

which had entered the chain supermarket in the Bademli 

neighborhood, began eating meat from the butcher counter. 

It is alleged that the shopper alerted the staff when the cat first 

entered the store, but was told, "Don't worry, it won't do 

anything." (!)

"Hmmmm...what looks good? I'm very finicky!"

Following the circulation of the footage online, teams from the 

Mudanya District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry 

inspected the supermarket. They seized the meat from the display 

case for destruction and issued a fine of 52,800 TL.

A statement released by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture

and Forestry via their social media account noted the following:

"Regarding the footage reportedly filmed at a supermarket 

operating within our province, inspection teams from the relevant 

District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry conducted an 

immediate investigation. As a result of these inspections, it was 

determined that hygiene regulations were not being followed (!),

and administrative sanctions have been applied to the business in 

accordance with the relevant legislation."