"Beat & Release": Ax-wielding 90'ish Landlord Says 'Don't Believe What You See', in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 November 2022)

"Pay no attention to the man with the ax! Fake news!"

Syrians Amina Hasan and Rahaf Shaham Kabaa live in a flat in Istanbul's

Bayrampaşa district owned by Naim Akgün (93!).  On 22 January 2022 

Akgün went to the flat, bashed the door with an ax and entered to collect

unpaid rent.  He was charged with "violating the sanctity of a home with

a weapon" and the public prosecutor asked for a sentence of from one to

four years. 

The case was heard in court yesterday and Akgün defended his actions,

saying "I own the apartment building.  I gave that flat for rent 

to two people but this became 20 people and they don't pay their rent.

On the day of the incident, the renter in the flat next to theirs moved out

and left the place a mess.  I went there to make repairs so that's why I

had the ax.  I didn't damage the renters' door, which costs 15,000 TL

(about $800).  Why would I damage my own property?!"  

The court directed that the scenes of the incident be given to an expert

witness and postponed the hearing until a further date. 

"Beat & Release": Minibus Driver Rejects Mini Passenger but Social Media Exacts Revenge, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 November 2022)

                 Forget the fuss, and forget the (mini)bus too! 

In Bahçelievler, Istanbul, a women with her baby in a stroller boarded

a minibus taxi on Fatih Avenue but the driver told the woman that the

stroller took up too much space so he wanted her to get off the minibus.

An argument ensued and the woman was forced to disembark.

                         Social media takes no prisoners.

However (!), the woman shared video she took of the incident on 

social media, prompting traffic police to take action.  Seeing the 

minibus's license plate number enabled police to stop the vehicle

and fine driver B.E. 2,019 TL (about $110) for "disrespectfully

operating a passenger vehicle within the borders of the Istanbul

municipality."  In addition, the minibus was barred from the streets.

 

"Beat & Release": Thieves, in No Rush, Steal Alumınum Door Part During Rush Hour, in Şişli, Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 November 2022)

                         "Have aluminum, will travel"

On Ergenekon Avenue in Şişli, Istanbul, the aluminum part of a 

building's front door was stolen at five-forty-five in the evening last 

Tuesday.   Neighboring shopkeepers assumed the thieves were

just repairing the door because the robbers were so calm, as one of 

them put the aluminum part on his back and strolled away.

A man and a woman stopped in front of the building, with the woman

serving as look-out while the man began to remove the alumınum

door part from its fixed position.  The couple's calm demeanor 

raised no concerns from onlookers.  Security camera footage 

recorded the entire incident.

Saime Oğuzhan, the editor of the Kentim Şişli Newspaper, which

is located within the building, noted that "the next day we were

amazed to learn it was a theft, because they had removed the aluminum 

as if they were just doing a job.  Every day 50,000 people pass by here.

Şişli is one of Istanbul's busiest places.  But no one thought anything of

the removal."

"Beat & Release": Care-free Scooter Rider Gets Deadly 'Mortality' Lesson, in Adapazarı

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 20 November 2022)

Scooter rider Hacer Ölmez (20 and whose surname means "immortal") 

died when she was hit by a train at the rail crossing in Mithatpaşa 

village in Sakarya province's Adapazarı district last evening.  

Hacer hanım tried to cross the rail crossing even though the barriers 

were down and evidently did not hear the oncoming train's horn 

because she was listening to music with headphones. 

                                       No comment.

Firefighters and police arrived on the scene and Hacer hanım's body

was taken to the morgue at Sakarya State Hospital.  Her electric 

scooter was also taken by police and an investigation into the incident

has begun. 

"Beat & Release": Flush With Cash, Social Media Phenom Throws 100 TL in Toilet

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 19 November 2022)

                                      Prison toilets await. 

Social media phenomenon Mika CanRaun posted a video showing herself 

throwing a 100 TL banknote into a toilet ($1 = 1,850 TL).  In response to 

criticism, Raun said "Is it a crime to donate 100 TL to our beautiful 

country's sewer system?!"   In any case, Raun was taken into custody 

by police on 24 October and then released.  

However (!), the public prosecutor prepared an indictment against

her, noting that the banknote carried the picture of Turkey's founder

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as well as the Turkish flag, so throwing said

banknote into the toilet constituted an insult to both.  The prosecutor

asked the court for a jail sentence of from 2.5 years to 7.5 years for 

Raun.  After the court accepts the indictment, Raun's trial will begin. 

                            No restroom for the wicked.

TNT Cat-stantinople Journal: Kittens Rescued by Firefighters, in Avcılar, Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 November 2022)

                   Firefighters: other duties as assigned. 

Three kittens fell into an airconditioning vent at the Avcılar No. 3 Family

Health Center on Yurdakul Street in Avcılar, Istanbul.  The staff at the 

health center thought that the kittens' cries were coming from an 

adjacent garden, rather than from the airconditioning vent, so they paid 

them no mind.  

However (!), local children playing in the area noticed the trapped 

kittens, tried unsuccessfully to free them and fed them before asking

the health center staff for help.  Firefighters were summoned to the 

scene and quickly rescued the three kittens, which were returned in

a cardboard box to their mother waiting patiently for them in the 

adjacent garden. 

           Exhaustion is the price of curiosity, this time. 

                            Avcılar district of Istanbul.

"Beat & Release": Sleeping Beauty Awakens, Her 'Prince' Goes to Jail, in Edirne

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2022)

After the fairy tale wedding, the prince of darkness emerged.

In Keşan district of Edirne province on 13 November, Görkem Güzel (29)

called "112" (Turkey's 911) to report that his wife İlsu Güzel (23) had  hit

her head and passed out.  İlsu hanım was taken to a hospital where she 

remained in an unconscious state and was transferred to a hospital in 

Istanbul for advance treatment of clots in her brain. 

However (!), the day before yesterday İlsu hanım awoke and told police

that her husband had grabbed her by her chin and smacked her head 

against a wall.  Based on her statement, Görkem bey was taken into 

custody in Istanbul, brought back to Edirne and jailed for violence 

against his wife. 

"Beat & Release": Serial Hostage-Taker Holds Wife for 18 Hours. Last Year His Target was a Barber Shop, in Çorum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 November 2022)

                               "He cut it too short!!"

In Çorum, Mustafa Y. (38) took his estranged wife Merve K. hostage with

a hunting rifle and revolver.  Noise from the house prompted neighbors to

call police and police chief Mehmet Gülser took charge of the negotiations,

persuading Mustafa Y. to surrender after 18 hours (!).  Mustafa K.'s older

sister helped convince her brother to yield. 

Last year in August, Mustafa K. took four people hostage in a barber shop

in Çorum.  He has only recently been discharged from prison. 

"Beat & Release": Motorcycle Courier Grabs With Intent, Spits Without, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 November 2022)

                            Unwanted special delivery. 

A motorcycle courier in Kartal, Istanbul, grabbed the posteriors of 

women walking along the street and spit in the face of some of them.

When the women filed complaints police reviewed security camera

footage and succeeded in identifying the plate number of the harasser's

motorcycle. 

Next, police determined that the motorcycle's owner was Murat Bulut

(38), who was caught.  Bulut has a police record for many sexual 

harassment incidents.  The four women who Bulut harassed this time

identified him at the police station.  In his statement, Bulut, who lives

apart from his wife, explained that he has a "spitting twitch" which  

resulted in him spitting in the women's faces involuntarily (!).  Bulut

was jailed. 

"Beat & Release": Russian Punches Instead of Paying for Toilet Use, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 November 2022)

                 What price relief?  He paid with his life. 

                          

In Antalya's Kemer district on 25 October, Mehmet Özcan (60), who 

managed a toilet facility at a parking lot site, got into an argument  with

Russian tourist R.K. who refused to pay the 2 TL (not even one U.S. 

cent !) fee for using the toilet. 

R.K. floored Özcan with a punch and Özcan was taken to a hospital for 

treatment.  After his release, Özcan felt ill again and was brought back

to the hospital, where he died from blood in his brain.   R.K. was taken

into custody and jailed.  

Özcan's nephew Murat Özcan came from Çankırı province to retrieve

his uncle's body and noted that Özcan had cancer and a handicapped

daughter.  He declared that "We want the perpetrator to pay and we will

not relent on this."

"Beat & Release": Failure to Yield Leads to 'Friendly-Fire' Casualties in Beyoğlu Road Rage Incident

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 November 2022)

     "Whaddya mean 'one way'?!  I'm only going one way!"

Two groups in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, got into a dispute over a "yield-right-

of-way" traffic incident so Veysel E. challenged the opposite group to

come to a park to settle matters.  However (!), at the park Veysel E. 

mistakenly shot his own friends, killing Fatih Sarıtaş and seriously 

wounding Enes D. 

On 25 October at about 5 o'clock in the evening Cenk Y. and Zafer Ö

were driving in their car (plate nr. 34 GZ 8828) when they encountered

Veysel E., who goes by the nickname "Arap Veysi" (!), driving his car

and a "yield-right-of-way" dispute erupted.  Two people on the side of

the street joined against Veysel E. in the argument so Veysel E. declared

"Wait for us at the park!"  Subsequently, Veysel E. arrived at the park 

along with friends Fatih Sarıtaş, Enes D., Hasan Basri A., Emir Doğancan

G. and Mehmet A. 

At the park Veysel E. said to the opposite group "how could you not know

who I am??!! Now you'll find out who I am!!"  A fight between the two

groups ensued and Veysel E. started firing a gun but he hit his friends

Sarıtaş and Enes D. by mistake (!).  Amid the mayhem, both groups broke

up and the police arrived to take Sarıtaş and Enes D. to the hospital, where

Sarıtaş succumbed to his wounds and Enes D. was put into intensive care. 

Police nabbed  Emir Doğancan G. and Hasan Basri A. in the garden of the

Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu City Hospital, whereas Cenk Y. and Zafer Ö. 

were taken into custody in Hasköy Park.  Mehmet A. was apprehended 

with the gun used in the incident.  All five were released under judicial

supervision (!).  Police are currently in pursuit of Veysel E./"Arap Veysi". 

"Beat & Release": Drug Addict Says Devil Made Him Kill Mom; Judge Doesn't Buy It, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 November 2022)

                                      An idle mind...

In Nilüfer district of Bursa province on 12 February drug addict  

Muhammet Ergül (25) approached his mother Azime Akman (48)

and his step-sister M.A. (13), grabbed a knife and began to do harm

to himself.  As the Azime hanım and M.A. sought to intervene Ergül

slashed his mother's throat, killing her, and injured M.A. with a total

of 10 stab wounds.  

Police apprehended Ergül and he said in court that "the devil told me

to kill her! (M.A.) Then my mother intervened and the devel said 'kill

her too!'"  Explaining further, Ergül said that "nine years ago I began

using methamphetamines and I started having serious psychological

problems.  At that time I was living in the village but when my mother

and stepfather split up I moved in with her.  Two days before the 

incident I used meth and alcohol.  I thought that the other guys at the 

factory thought I was strange and a drug user.   I came home and 

considered suicide.  I don't know what happened next. I'm regretful." 

The judge, however, reprimanded Ergül, saying "you took the drugs

of your own volition. Can we let anyone who takes drugs do whatever

they want, claiming that I wasn't myself and I don't remember?!"