"Beat & Release": Spanish TV Show "La Casa de Papel"'s Ukrainian Version Flops, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 January 2023)

                       The heist was lost in translation.

An attempted bank heist in Üsküdar, Istanbul, brought to mind the 

wildly popular Spanish TV show "La Casa de Papal".  According to

passport records, Ukranian Andrii Sushikov (50) came to Istanbul in

February 2021.  In April of that year, Sushikov rented a safety deposit

box in a bank in Üsküdar and went to the bank to open the box a few

times that month.  

On 14 April 2021, Sushikov came to the bank with a sachel, wanting 

to open his box again.   A bank official escorted Sushikov to the cash

box room and left him there by himself.  However (!),  when the bank

official heard the sound of a number of cash boxes being opened, she

looked in, saw that Sushikov was fiddling with boxes other than his

own and locked him inside.  Police were called and Sushikov was

taken into custody. 

Sushikov was found to have 5 cash box keys and counterfeit dollars

on his person.  A police investigation determined that Sushikov's

fingerprints were on the other cash boxes.  The "expert witness"

report submitted to the court stated that the cash boxes are

opened with an eight-tooth key and each time Sushikov came to the

cash box room he put paste on one of the teeth of his own key in a

successful effort to copy the other keys.  He also had a copy of the

master key that bank officials use in case of emergencies.  (!)

Sushikov rejected the accusations, asserting that the keys and money

he had on him were his property and that the fingerprints found on

the other boxes were not his. (!)   Nevertheless, Sushikov was 

convicted of theft against the owners of the four other boxes and

sentenced to 17 years 6 months in jail.  The sentence was upheld on

appeal. 

"Beat & Release": Taxi Driver Terror, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 January 2023)

                        Police are looking for this man.

Berna K. (52) and Yıldız S. (48) went to a friend's birthday party in 

Kadıköy, Istanbul, last Friday night and afterward headed home in

their Jeep at about 0330 in the morning.  When they reached Kızıltoprak

the Jeep was hit from behind by a taxi, not once but twice.  Realizing 

that the taxi driver was intentionally hitting their vehicle, the women

stepped on the gas.  Nevertheless, the taxi driver kept on hitting them

from behind, prompting Yıldız hanım to call the police.

In front of Süleyman Yalçın Hospital in Göztepe, the taxi hit the

women's Jeep again but this time local police heard the noise and

the taxi driver, seeing the police, fled.  Berna hanım explained that 

"we were going along at normal speed and saw his headlights all of

a sudden.  He hit us a couple of times so we sped away, honking the

horn.  He hit us for the fourth time in front of the hospital."

 

We saw his face and took down his license plate number. The front of 

the taxi was damaged quite a bit but our sturdy Jeep was just a bit 

banged up in the back.  The police escorted us all the way home.

The taxi owner was contacted and said he'd rented the vehicle to

an auto gallery for 10 years."  Police are searching for the fugitive

taxi driver. 

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türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 January 2023)

             "Raging Bull" taxi driver Taravis Bikeloğlu.

In Ümraniye, Istanbul, on Sunday evening Koray Akyol was driving

along and refused to allow a taxi driving in the right security lane 

from entering in front of him.  Enraged, the taxi driver followed 

Akyol for 5 kilometers, got out of his taxi at a red light, and began

to curse and scream at Akyol, pounding on and kicking his car for

good measure.  

Akyol noted that he and his girlfriend were frightened.  He put his

car in reverse by mistake and hit the taxi.  Akyol then fled the scene.

He noted that "I didn't confront him at all. He didn't seem to be the

type who would listen to reason.  God knows what he would have

done to us if he'd been able to open my door.  I'm thinking about (!)

filing a complaint.  Such people should be punished right away!"

"Beat & Release": Accidental Pole Dancing on the Ankara Metro

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 January 2023)

       Her "partner" was loath to let the dance stop. 

Yesterday evening at around 6 o'clock, a woman riding on the Kızılay-

Batıkent metro line in Ankara got her head stuck in between the metal 

poles that standing riders hold on to.  The woman panicked and despite

calming efforts by her fellow riders, she could not get unstuck.  

The train stopped at the Macunköy station and firefighters were called

to rescue the woman, which they were able to do in about half an hour

by cutting the metal poles.  After the incident was over the train 

continued on its journey.

"Beat & Release": Turkish 'Sigmund Freud' Swindled 25 Women, in Mersin

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Gazeteduvar website, 7 November 2018)

                      More Casanova than Freud.

In Mersin, Mustafa K., accused of swindling women he dated by 

claiming to be a doctor and academician, has been arrested.  He 

confessed that he read Sigmund Freud's books and conducted

psychological analysis on the women. (!) 

One victim, a woman named A.G., explained that "I had relations with

U.A., who introduced himself to me as an academician.  He withdrew

4,399 TL (about $235) on my credit card.  Then he said he was going 

to give a lecture so he took my computer and I never saw him again."  

Police learned that "U.A." was, in fact, Mustafa K., who similarly 

hoodwinked 25 women.

Mustafa K. confessed to his crimes, relating that "I read Sigmund Freud's

books to be able to analyze women's psychological states." (!)  He was

sentenced to 18 years 4 months in prison, fined 46,160 TL ($2,461) and

taken to jail.  

The resemblance is uncanny...

"Beat & Release": Brother Kills Brother Over Garbage Duty but Court Grants Sentence Discounts, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 31 December 2022)

                        Ankara's Cain and Abel.

Last year on 5 March in Ankara's Çankaya district, while their parents

were away, Mustafa Kocaman (20) told his younger brother Kenan 

Kocaman (16) to take out the garbage.  Kanan balked at this request

and the two began to argue.  The argument became a fight and Mustafa

grabbed a fruit knife, stabbing his brother with it.  The wounded Kenan

pushed his older brother and fell to the floor, prompting Mustafa to 

take a bread knife from the kitchen, chase his wounded brother to the

bathroom and stab him 38 times. (!) 

Mustafa was arrested and tried for murder but expressed regret, telling 

the court "I wish I had died instead of my brother.  Then these things 

wouldn't have happened to me."   In response, the court granted Mustafa

a sentence reduction for committing the murder under "unjustified 

provocation" to 22 years in prison.  Additionally, because of Mustafa's

good behavior during his trial (he wore a tie), his sincere regret, his 

previously clean record, and in consideration of the effect of the sentence 

on his future, the court further reduced his sentence to 18 years 4 months. 

                          If only he'd worn a tie...

"Beat & Release": American TV Producer Hoodwinked by Istanbul "Investment" Gang for $3 Million

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 December 2022)

                             Latest cast of characters.

American Lori-Etta Taub was hoodwinked to the tune of $3 million

(56 million TL) by a Nigerian in Istanbul who claimed to be U.S.

citizen "Alex Quin", and his three Turkish partners-in-crime.  But

Taub came all the way to Istanbul, filed a criminal complaint against

the gang and all its members were arrested by police. 

Taub, who is the TV producer of such shows as "American Crime",

was enticed by "Quin"'s promise of big returns on investments.  

"Quin" turned out to be Nigerian Cyril Amechi Enebeli and his 

"associates" Turks Nuray Bakar, Recep Akçay and Doğukan Delibaş.

After luring her over social media, the gang got to Taub to send them 

a few thousand dollars, promising high-interest returns.  

After receiving the promised increased return, Taub sent a few 

thousand more dollars and was similarly rewarded. Having earned

her trust, the gang asked her for $3 million, which Taub sent to them

but heard nothing in response.  She tried to contact the gang but 

without success so she filed a criminal complaint with the Istanbul

public prosecutor.  

Istanbul police tracked down Enebeli, Bakar, Akçay and Delibaş,

taking them all into custody.   A search of their home yielded cash

and a lot of "digital material".  Thier bank accounts were blocked,

as well.

Taub's TV shows like "American Crime" have drawn viewers in 

Turkey.  Her other TV shows are "All American", "Lori Etta Taub's

Runaway", "The Uninvited", "The Glades", "Saving Grace", "Huff",

"Night Stalker" and "Tilt".  

"Turkish Crime" version waiting in the wings.

"Beat & Release": Noisy Neighbor Extracted from Flat "Karga Tulumba" Style, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 December 2022)

must see video

                 "Karga tulumba" style: by the limbs.

In Esenyurt, Istanbul, a person put a sound system on his flat's balcony

and played loud music day and night, driving his neighbors crazy.  Police

arrived and, with great difficulty, took the culprit into custody. 

The incident occurred a few days ago in Esenyurt's Saadetdere 

neighborhood.  Based on neighbors' complaints, police took the man

into custody, but only by pressing him to the ground and handcuffing

him behind his back. (!)  However, after processing at the police 

station, the man was released, returned home and started playing loud

music on his balcony again. (!)

Police came back and went into the man's flat where he resisted once

again.  Ultimately, he was carried out of the apartment building in

"karga tulumba" style (carried out bodily).  During an argument that

broke out between neighbors and the individual, his sound system was

destroyed.  

Poyraz İlhan, one of the neighbors, related that "sometimes he plays

religious music and sometimes old songs.  Parts of his sound system

are here on the ground because it was broken up yesterday. In any case,

we've gotten used to it.  He has mental problems and drinks too much so

he plays the music at night and sometimes he says odd things, but this

has become normal for us.  At times, we even make requests for 

particular songs and he agrees to play them.  Some people are disturbed

by his actions but he's sick so there's really nothing anyone can do. At

least we get to listen to music."