"Fleece & Release": Accountant Embezzled $2.5 Million and Lived the High Life - Nabbed but "No Regrets"

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 September 2026)

Mesut A.: "It was great fun for a while. Now it's a blur."

Mesut A., an accounting manager in Istanbul who embezzled 122 

million TL (about $2.5 million!) from his company's accounts over the 

years, has been referred to the courthouse along with 19 other suspects—

including his mother, father, wife, and girlfriend. It was reported that the 

suspect, who lost 60 million liras of the funds in casinos in Georgia and 

Cyprus and spent another 5 million on his girlfriend's cosmetic surgeries 

and a house built in her name, stated during police questioning, 

"I have no regrets." (!)

An investigation was launched upon a notice made under the coordination 

of the Public Security Branch Directorate and the Gaziosmanpaşa Chief 

Public Prosecutor's Office. During the studies, it was determined that 

Mesut A., who worked as an accounting manager in a company, 

transferred the company's money over the years, first to his own accounts 

and then to the accounts of his accomplices.

Police teams examined the company's accounts and determined that the 

suspect stole a total of 122 million TL. Fraud Bureau based in Istanbul

carried out an operation in Sinop and Tokat, based in Istanbul, to catch 

the suspect Mesut A. and his accomplices.

A family affair...

Eighteen suspects, including Mesut A., were detained in simultaneous 

raids involving special operations police. The suspects were taken to 

the Public Security Branch Directorate, where they were interrogated 

by the Fraud Bureau.

It was revealed that Mesut A., who is married but in the process of 

divorcing, had a girlfriend; footage surfaced showing him spending 

5 million TL on her cosmetic surgeries, having a house built in her name, 

and enjoying himself with her at nightclubs and casinos. Investigations 

by the teams determined that there was 10 million TL in the account of 

his girlfriend, Ş.Y.

It has emerged that Mesut A. gambled in Georgia and Cyprus, losing 

approximately 60 million TL; among the 19 suspects detained in 

connection with the incident were Mesut A., his mother, his father, 

his estranged spouse, his girlfriend, and his colleagues.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the company owner, upon reviewing 

the documents, discovered that Mesut A. had embezzled funds; 

consequently, the owner fired him and filed a complaint. Additionally, 

legal measures were imposed on 12 vehicles and 5 properties belonging 

to the suspects, and their bank accounts were frozen. In his statement 

to the police, Mesut A. expressed no remorse. The 19 detained suspects 

were referred to the courthouse.

Road to ruin!

"Whoops! & Release": Calf Falls Through Living Room Ceiling, in Nazilli

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Aydındenge website, 8 September 2026)

    Ali says "Steak for dinner tonight!"

A calf that climbed onto the roof of a house in Aydın's Nazilli district 

was left hanging from the ceiling when the roof collapsed. The animal, 

which surprised the neighborhood residents, was rescued by the 

intervention of fire brigades.

The incident took place in Kırcaklı District of Nazilli district. According 

to the information obtained, the calf climbed onto the roof of the house 

owned by Ali Aydemir for an unknown reason (!), causing the roof to 

collapse due to its weight. The calf got stuck in the collapsed section and 

remained hanging from the ceiling of the house.

Upon notice, Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department teams 

were dispatched to the scene. The calf, which was rescued from its 

location as a result of the careful work of the teams, was delivered to

 its owner. Material damage occurred on the roof of the house in the 

incident.

"Switch & Release": Fugitive Dressed as a Woman For 8 Years to Avoid Capture

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 8 September 2026)

                Tuğrul bey's better half is much better.

Tuğrul Başar, a fugitive wanted since 2018 for three separate prison 

sentences for "theft using an official identity" in Samsun, was 

apprehended in Kadıköy, Istanbul. It was determined that he had 

disguised himself as a woman (!) and used his sister's identity for 

years to evade the police.

Teams from the Fugitive Apprehension Bureau determined that the 

suspect had been disguising himself as a woman to avoid capture. 

Following a surveillance operation, Tuğrul Başar was apprehended 

the previous day. An identity card belonging to his sister was found 

on him, revealing that this had allowed him to evade capture for years.

Tuğrul Başar, who is also being prosecuted for "using someone else's 

identity information," was handed over to the Kadıköy, İskele police 

station for further processing.

"Stream & Release": Police Raided "Influencer" Thief While She Broadcast Live, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 September 2026)

   Gülüstan hanım - filtered and unfiltered.

Gülüstan Kurt, who has a confirmed prison sentence of 64 years and 

215 criminal records, was apprehended in Esenler while live streaming 

on social media when police arrived at her door. Despite her followers 

warning her on the stream, "Hürrem's door is knocking, don't open it," 

the fugitive opened the door and was confronted by the police. She 

was subsequently arrested by the court and sent to prison.

The incident occurred on Friday, July 31st, in the Nene Hatun section

of Esenler. According to reports, police officers from the Beyoğlu Patrol 

Teams Command initiated an operation to apprehend wanted individuals. 

Investigations revealed that Gülüstan Kurt was wanted due to a total of 

64 years and 6 months of finalized prison sentences handed down by 

various courts.

Police teams located the house where Gülüstan Kurt was staying and 

put her under surveillance. Acting while Kurt was live streaming on her

social media account, the teams raided the house. As the live stream 

continued, Gülüstan hanım approached the door and called out, 

"Who is it?" At that moment, one of the people participating in the live 

stream warned Gülüstan Kurt, "Hürrem's door is knocking; don't open it, 

Hürrem!" Kurt's surprise as she looked out the door was captured on 

live television.

The referenced Hürrem...

After she opened the door, police raided the woman's house. The 

moments when the police entered the house and arrested the woman 

were broadcast live. Meanwhile, another person participating in the 

live broadcast reacted to the situation by saying, "Hürrem is gone. 

They've taken Hürrem's head. They've taken her." At that moment, 

Gülüstan Kurt's phone fell to the ground. Gülüstan Kurt, who picked 

up her phone and ended the live broadcast, was taken to the police 

station.

During questioning, it was revealed that Gülüstan Kurt had 215 criminal 

records (!), mostly for theft. It was determined that she was wanted by 

courts in Istanbul, Bursa, and Izmir for crimes including 'Theft by 

skillfully (!) taking items carried on the person or in possession', 'Theft 

of items kept under custody inside a building', 'Theft of items belonging 

to public institutions and organizations', 'Forgery of official documents', 

and 'Making false statements to the population registry office'.

Following her questioning at the police station, Gülüstan Kurt was 

taken to court, where she was arrested and sent to prison.

"Fleece & Release": Uzbek Bride Absconds With Gold After Wrestling-themed Wedding, in Milas

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA News Agency, 6 September 2026)

Wrestling: the best preparation for any marriage.

                                

In Milas district of Muğla, Mustafa Ateşoğlu (32) reported to the police 

that his new Uzbekistani wife, Mamura Burkahnova (28), whom he 

married on August 18, had taken approximately 5 million TL worth 

of jewelry (about $103,000), 300,000 TL in cash (about $6,200) and 

his mobile phone from their home and left (!).  Mamura hanım 

surrendered to the police but denied the accusations, filing a complaint 

against her husband and father-in-law.

Mustafa bey woke up one morning to find that his wife was not at home. 

According to the allegations, Ateşoğlu checked the house and discovered 

that approximately 5 million TL worth of gold jewelry, 300,000 TL 

in cash, and his mobile phone were missing. Ateşoğlu filed a complaint 

with the police against Mamura hanım and police teams launched an 

investigation to find her. However, no bus or hotel records were found 

for Mamura hanım. In any case, she surrendered to the police yesterday.

Mamura hanım getting advice from her marriage counselor.

In her statement, Mamura hanım claimed that her husband constantly 

threatened and insulted her, and that she had not reported it to the police 

before because she was afraid. Stating that she went to her mother's house 

in the village on the day of the incident, Mamura hanım claimed that she

only took 20 quarter gold coins and 226,000 TL. She asserted that the 

remaining gold was with her father-in-law and submitted the relevant 

message records to the police to be added to the file. Claiming that her 

cell phone was given to her by her husband, she filed a complaint against 

Ateşoğlu and her father-in-law for 'threats' and 'insults'. Mamura hanım

was released after the procedures at the police station.

Additionally, it was learned that oil wrestling competitions (!) were held 

at the couple's wedding, and that top wrestlers Recep Kara, Abdullah 

Güngör, Feyzullah Aktürk, Yalçın Üncül, Bekir Can Özturgut, Cenk İldem, 

Okan Yavaş and Salih Erinç participated in the competitions.

"Oscar & Release": Robert De Niro Joined an Istanbul Police Raid 31 Years Ago

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 September 2026)

                     Role research, he says. Hmmm.

Veteran actor Robert De Niro confirmed the 31-year-old story of his 

participation in police raids in Istanbul in 1995. De Niro explained 

that he was doing research for a project and went on operations with 

police teams in Istanbul.

World-renowned actors Robert De Niro and Adam Scott, who star 

in the film "The Whisper Man," were guests on Cem Başak's "Before 

You Go to the Movies" YouTube channel for the interview.

During the interview, De Niro was asked if the news reports about 

him going to nightclubs with Istanbul police in 1995 and conducting 

identity checks were true.

The veteran actor replied, "I went out with them, but I didn't do any 

identity checks. I didn't really do much. I was mostly watching and 

observing. That news is true."

Robert De Niro said he was doing research at the time:

"I had a project with a writer I was working with at the time. People 

I knew, police officers, were going to raid a club. We went with them." 

Adam Scott jokingly commented, "Imagine, you're waiting at the 

door of a club and the person checking your ID is Robert De Niro."

Robert De Niro's Istanbul adventure first came to light in 2017 with 

an archival article written by journalist Burak Ersemiz.

Learning how to say "fuggedaboutit" in Turkish.

According to Ersemiz's article, in 1995, Mehmet Başar, then head 

of the Interpol Branch, saw Robert De Niro in his office at the Istanbul 

Police Department building on Vatan Street.

It was reported that Başar had become friends with De Niro during 

his time working in the US, and that the actor had come to Istanbul 

to observe the work of the Turkish police for a film project.

Ersemiz described how De Niro went to nightclubs with Narcotics 

Branch teams, wearing a police hat and vest, and checking people's 

identities with a walkie-talkie.

Of course, De Niro has portrayed Istanbul taxi drivers for

TNT many times over the years...

"Groucho & Release": A Barber With a Giant Mustache, in Erzurum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 4 August 2026)

                 He'll shave yours but not his own!

Hacı Kırmaç, a resident of Horasan district in Erzurum, who has 

5 children and 43 grandchildren, has been maintaining his love for 

mustaches, inherited from his grandfather and father, since his youth.

Living in the district center, Kırmaç is known for his mustache, which 

he has been growing since his youth and which once reached up to 1.5 

meters in length. Continuing his love for mustaches, passed down from 

his grandfather to his father and then to himself, Kırmaç decided to 

grow his mustache even longer after watching a mustache competition 

on television in the 1980s.

Kırmaç, who became one of the well-known figures of the district over 

the years and came to be known by the nickname "Horasanlı Pala," 

continues his barbering profession, which he has been practicing for 

70 years, in the shop he runs with his son.

Kırmaç, who is known to be over 80 years old and keeps his age and 

the secret of his mustache maintenance secret from everyone, 

occasionally attracts the attention of citizens with the poems and folk 

songs he recites in front of his workplace.

Advice to customers: "keep your eyes closed".

Hacı Kırmaç said that growing a mustache was a more common and 

beloved tradition in the past. Kırmaç, stating that his grandfather and 

father had long mustaches and that he has been passionate about 

mustaches ever since, said, "There was a mustache competition in Ankara. 

I watched it on television. His mustache wasn't even as long as mine. 

That man won the competition. I said, 'I wish I had been there, that I 

had participated in the competition.' I think I would have won. It came 

to my mind day and night. Then I started to grow it even longer."

Kırmaç, emphasizing how much he loves his mustache, noted:

"People come and take pictures with me. Maintaining my mustache is 

very difficult. I do very secret treatments. I won't tell anyone my secret; 

I have rivals. Most of my rivals have passed away. There's a secret to 

how long it stays, but I won't tell. I won't reveal my exact age or the 

treatments I use. It's become easier for me now, but the maintenance is 

very difficult. I will continue to take care of my mustache. I've been a 

barber for 70 years, and I've been growing my mustache for 70 years. 

There are also people who want to grow theirs after seeing me, but it's 

very difficult."

"What's not to like!?"

Kırmaç stated that in previous years his mustache reached up to 1.5 

meters, and although he sometimes trimmed the ends, its length still 

exceeds 1 meter.

Muhammet Kırmaç, son of Horasanlı Pala, also expressed his 

satisfaction with the attention his father has received.  Explaining that 

his grandfather also had a fondness for mustaches, Kırmaç said, 

"Over time, the media and public interest have kept my father's love 

for his mustache alive. I also wanted to grow my mustache, but it 

didn't happen. Mustaches are beautiful; Anatolian people love 

mustaches. People come to the shop to see my father. Children 

especially love them. My father doesn't refuse any of them. He has 

no intention of cutting it. We've registered him for Hajj for 10 years. 

He hasn't been selected yet. He says he will cut it in the name of God 

if he gets selected."