"Meow & Release": Author-Teacher Created "Cat Village" With Own Funds, in Trabzon

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 2 November 2022)

Tenants get rent-free accommodations, thanks to Necmi bey.

In the Ortahisar district of Trabzon, a teacher named Necmi Aksu has 

rented a 700-square-meter plot of land—funded by the proceeds from 

a book he authored—to create a sanctuary he calls "Cat Village," 

where he cares for 200 cats. (!)

Noting that he has even taken out bank loans at times to provide for 

the animals, Aksu said, "Feeding the cats is a significant financial strain. 

I’ve published a novel, so I sell copies and attend book fairs; I also 

spend my own salary on them."

And thanks go to Yasemin hanım, too.

Necmi Aksu, a physical education teacher at Aydınlıkevler İmam Hatip 

High School, used the proceeds from the sale of his book, titled 'Yasemin,' 

to rent a 700-square-meter plot of land. There, he created a dedicated 

sanctuary he calls 'Cat Village,' where he provides care for 200 cats—

including those that are ill, disabled, or kittens—feeding them with 

food collected from various neighborhoods. 

The area, enclosed by wire fencing, also features small shelters for 

the cats. Necmi bey explained:

"Cats from outside this area also come here in search of food. 

Furthermore, I carry out feeding efforts for stray animals living on the 

streets across six different neighborhoods. Due to urbanization, 

everything has been covered in concrete; yet, cats require soil—

an earthen ground—to survive. There are no longer any spaces left 

where they can hunt or live. 

In the past, they could at least scavenge through trash to find something 

to eat, but even that is no longer possible, as waste containers are now 

placed underground. I have seen many starving mother cats, and I have 

even witnessed mothers lose their kittens to hunger. These, too, are 

living beings—God’s voiceless creatures. God provides for their 

sustenance through us. 

In the past, I spent vast sums of money on veterinary care for these cats—

enough that I could have bought a villa or a luxury car—though now, 

I receive some support.  There is a clinic established by our Ortahisar 

Municipality. People bring stray cats there. They receive treatment. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mayor of Ortahisar, 

Ahmet Metin Genç."

A cat's-eye view of the Black Sea...

"Convey & Release": Woman Gestures to Police About Bipolar Hubby, But Avoids Criminal Complaint, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper,  5 November 2026)

Sultan hanım conveys situation to police with sign 

language from behind.

Following a report of domestic violence, a police team arrived 

at an apartment unit in Maltepe, Istanbul. Sultan P., who was 

allegedly subjected to violence, did not file a formal complaint; 

instead, she explained that her husband suffers from a bipolar 

disorder and requested that he be admitted to a hospital. Husband

Yahya P., who displayed aggressive behavior, was taken into 

custody.

In Istanbul’s Maltepe district, police responded to a report 

expressing concern for the safety of Sultan P., who was 

allegedly being subjected to violence by her husband. Upon 

opening the door to the apartment, Yahya P. questioned the 

officers’ presence and acted aggressively. During this 

interaction, it was observed that his wife, Sultan P.—who 

was standing behind him—was making various hand gestures. 

Footage of the incident has since circulated on social media.

Yahya P. in a reflective moment...

Realizing that Sultan P. might be attempting to draw their 

attention through these gestures, the officers spoke with her 

separately. When asked if she wished to file a complaint or 

required assistance, Sultan P. stated that she did not wish to 

press charges, but requested that her husband be admitted to 

a hospital. 

It was further reported that Sultan P. explained that her husband 

has a bipolar disorder and clarified that her hand gestures were 

not intended as a plea for help, but rather were involuntary 

movements made in the heat of the moment.

Nevertheless, Yahya P., who continued to exhibit aggressive 

behavior, was taken into custody. Investigations revealed that 

the couple had frequently argued in the past, and that Sultan P. 

had previously filed reports against him, though she had later 

withdrawn her complaints. Following the completion of police 

procedures, Yahya P. was referred to the courthouse.

"Shotgun & Release": Beyşehir Ladies Fully Armed; Nevşehir Ladies Next for "Slapper" Defense

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Vatan Newspaper, 4 November 2026)

                                        "To the front!"

In the neighborhood of Huğlu—located in the Beyşehir district 

of Konya, a hub for shotgun manufacturing—local women 

with a passion for the sport of shooting gather at a dedicated 

range to practice their marksmanship.

Arriving in their traditional local attire, these women engage 

in trap shooting, finding an opportunity to showcase their skills 

in the sport.  In Huğlu, a community with a nearly century-old 

tradition of manufacturing shotguns, the keen interest shown by 

womenin shooting sports is particularly noteworthy.

Ready for slappers!

At the Huğlu Firearms Shooting Range—where trap and skeet 

shooting, as well as traditional marksmanship competitions, 

take place—local women, often dressed in traditional *şalvar* 

(baggy trousers), gather to practice trap shooting and organize 

friendly competitions among themselves. 

The neighborhood is home to more than 20 factories that 

produce shotguns and ammunition, and some of the women 

who participate in trap shooting are also employed within 

this industry.

54-year-old Halime Sandal told an Anadolu Agency (AA) 

reporter that her interest in shooting dates back to her 

childhood. Recounting that she fired her first shot at the age 

of 13, Halime hanım noted that her passion for the sport has 

remained strong throughout the years.

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

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(NTV Haber website, 4 November 2026)

 "Slapper" Tolga Bey wouldn't dare do this in Beyşehir.

In Nevşehir, 38-year-old Tolga Çelik has been arrested for 

slapping a woman who was waiting in front of a market. The 

assault, which resulted in hearing loss for the woman, was 

captured on a security camera.

The woman was identified as S.E., who was waiting in front of 

a market in Nevşehir. The incident was recorded by a security 

camera at a nearby business.

Deeply shaken, the woman went to the police to file a complaint 

following the incident. In his statement, Tolga Çelik—who was 

taken into custody—claimed that he did not hit the woman 

intentionally, asserting that his arm had struck her by accident.(!)

A medical examination at the hospital revealed that S.E. had 

suffered hearing loss.

"Thanks & Release": Indonesian Student Knelt in Thanks After Bag Found, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 3 November 2026)

Anyone who's ever lost something (i.e. everyone), can relate.

In Bursa, a bag belonging to Indonesian university student Rahmawati 

Kualika Foebiannitra—containing her passport and some foreign 

currency—was found by a cleaning staff member, İsmail Ertürk, who 

returned it to her. Security camera footage captured the moment 

Foebiannitra, overcome with joy and happiness upon being reunited with 

her bag, prostrated herself in gratitude.

On October 29, Rahmawati Kualika Foebiannitra, an Indonesian 

university student, left her backpack—containing her passport, some 

foreign currency, and personal belongings—on her seat as she 

disembarked from a metro carriage to transfer at the Acemler Metro 

Station. Later that night, the carriage was moved to the BursaRay 

Operations and Maintenance Directorate in the Odunluk neighborhood 

for cleaning.

A cleaning staff member, İsmail Ertürk, discovered the bag and alerted 

his supervisor. An official report was filed, and the bag was handed 

over to the lost-and-found office. Following the incident, staff from 

the BURULAŞ Personalization Unit reviewed security camera footage, 

identified the owner and her travel route, and reached out to her.

Everybody loves a hero!

Rahmawati Kualika Foebiannitra, the Indonesian student to whom the 

bag belonged, was invited to the lost-and-found office in the Osmangazi 

district. After her identity was verified and the contents of the bag were 

confirmed to be hers, the items were returned to her. 

It was noted that Rahmawati, who was reunited with her passport, money,

and personal belongings, is scheduled to travel to Indonesia in two days; 

she managed to recover her passport just one day before her flight.

Meanwhile, security cameras captured the moment Rahmawati retrieved 

her bag—showing her overwhelmed with emotion, prostrating in gratitude, 

and the staff offering her water to help her calm down. 

İsmail Ertürk, the cleaning staff member who found the bag, recounted: 

“Around 11:00 or 12:00 at night, while I was cleaning a metro carriage, 

I noticed a green bag. I immediately called my supervisor, and together, 

we handed it over to a security officer. My supervisor filed a report, and 

the bag was then sent to the lost and found office. We always strive to 

fulfill our human duty. I learned that the bag belonged to an Indonesian 

student; it contained money and a passport. I am glad that this ensures 

she won’t face any issues during her travels. Knowing that I played a part 

in doing a good deed makes me even happier than it made her.”

And then there's the reward...

Kayhan Özdemir, an official at the lost and found office, explained: 

“Items found on the metro or in stations are delivered to us along with 

an official report. We verify each item against the report, then return 

them to their rightful owners. If a wallet contains identification, a student 

ID, or a significant sum of money, we handle the matter directly at our 

central office. We locate the owner’s personal information, contact them 

by phone, and arrange for the return of their belongings. In this case, 

we discovered a passport and some cash in the student’s bag. After 

completing the necessary paperwork, we reached out to the student and 

invited her to our office. Once it was confirmed that the bag belonged to 

her we returned it. The student was so overcome with joy that she wept 

and even prostrated in gratitude. We helped to calm her down, offered 

her some water and cologne, and she left our office in high spirits. 

This outcome brought us great happiness as well.”

"Cloak & Release": Drivers Hang Towels Over License Plates to Avoid Fines, All Over Turkey

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Kayserihaber.com website, 3 November 2026)

 "Oh! My wife must have left it there....she's a clean-freak"

The mystery behind the cleaning cloths and towels seen hanging from 

the trunks of certain vehicles in traffic has been solved. It has been 

determined that drivers use this method to camouflage their license 

plates, aiming to evade detection by Electronic Traffic Enforcement 

Systems (EDS) and avoid fines.

This tactic also serves as a convenient excuse should these drivers be 

stopped during police checks. Some motorists caught in such instances 

attempt to escape penalties by claiming that a cloth was accidentally 

caught in the trunk lid when it was closed, or that it had been left there 

to dry after the vehicle was washed.

EDS-istan:

"Betray & Release": Coworkers Copy Colleague's Keys to Steal Gold and Cash, in Antakya

 türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 November 2026)

          ...and don't make copies of their house keys!

Couple robs home of their own coworkers in Hatay: 1.5 million 

TL (about $30,000) haul!

In the Antakya district of Hatay, a couple—who worked at the 

same company as their victims (!)—made copies of their 

coworkers' house keys. While no one was home, the pair 

broke in and stole gold and foreign currency valued at 

approximately 1.5 million TL. The suspects were apprehended 

after police examined 22 hours of security camera footage.

The incident took place on October 8 in the Akasya 

neighborhood of the Antakya district. Following the theft of 

11 gold bracelets (weighing approximately 200 grams in total), 

40,000 TL, and 700 US dollars in cash from a residence, the 

Hatay Police Department launched an investigation.

When good coworkers go bad.

Police investigations revealed that the suspects—identified as 

N.N.H. and M.A.P., who are a couple and coworkers of the 

victim—had committed the theft. The suspects had previously 

copied the key to their friend’s home; they entered the residence 

while the woman was away and stole the gold and foreign 

currency she had been saving to purchase a home.

Teams from the Hatay Police Department conducted field 

investigations and reviewed approximately 22 hours of security 

camera footage. Following this analysis, the two suspects were 

identified, apprehended, and taken into custody.

Security camera footage captured the suspects walking along 

the street with the stolen gold and subsequently selling the items 

at a jewelry store.

Legal proceedings have been initiated against the suspects, 

N.N.H. and M.A.P.

"Deep Freeze & Release": Mummy-in-Refrigerator Case Solved 19 Years Later, in Mersin

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 1 November 2026)

He was known as "Pharoah", so internment quite appropriate.

In Mersin, six individuals have been taken into custody as part of a 

reopened investigation into the 2007 murder of 49-year-old Bahaddin 

Sefer—a case that became widely known as the "mummy corpse" 

murder after his remains were discovered inside a refrigerator encased 

in concrete in the courtyard of a house. (!)

On August 1, 2007, a tenant living in a house on 4537th Street in the 

Bahçe neighborhood of the Akdeniz district noticed unusual activity 

among rats in the garden. Upon beginning to break up the concrete 

ground, the tenant grew suspicious due to a foul odor and alerted the 

police. 

When officers arrived at the scene and fully broke through the concrete, 

they discovered a mummified male corpse inside a buried refrigerator (!). 

DNA testing later confirmed that the remains belonged to Bahaddin Sefer, 

who had been reported missing in 2001. An autopsy revealed that Sefer 

had died from injuries caused by a sharp object and a fractured skull; 

however, at the time, it could not be determined who had killed him or 

when the murder took place.

"Yeah, it's kind of a mess...but it'll have to do till the real mess 

gets here."

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced on social media that following 

information suggesting Sefer was last seen around 2001, statements were

 collected from 32 individuals across various provinces. Based on the 

evidence gathered, an operation was launched—centered in Mersin and 

spanning six provinces—resulting in the detention of six suspects. 

According to information obtained from judicial sources, the individuals 

suspected of involvement in the murder—which is believed to have been 

committed for "honor" (!)—have been identified as H.Ş., H.Y., A.İ., B.Ş., 

Ö.Ş., and A.E. The suspects were apprehended and taken into custody 

during simultaneous operations conducted at six locations across the 

provinces of Mersin, Batman, İzmir, Aydın, Yozgat, and Sivas. 

It has been reported that the suspects, who were captured outside the 

province, will be brought to Mersin, and that the investigation into the 

incident is being meticulously pursued by the Office of the Chief Public 

Prosecutor.