"Bet & Release": Divorcée Celebrated Her New Freedom With Masked Dancing Tour, in Tekirdağ

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 May 2025)

                   This time she gambled...and she won.

In Tekirdağ's Süleymanpaşa district, E.D. (30) divorced her 

husband of three years because of his online gambling addiction.

The divorce process lasted 10 months, so to finally celebrate her 

freedom E.D. dolled-up her car and set out on a "freedom tour"

in the center of town,  accompanied by the sounds of  Gypsy

folk music.  

However (!), in light of communal pressure on divorced women

E.D. donned a mask as she danced around to the music.  She

related that "Since communal pressure on women is so extreme

I was even hesitant to celebrate my own freedom.  But I wanted to

be an example for others.  I'm someone who's very fond of my

freedom but my  and my child's welfare suffered so much because

of the squandered money."

Continuing, E.D. lamented that "To be rescued from this marriage

I had to agree to forego alimony, but I preferred my freedom

anyway.   And I'm very discomfited by the gossip people spread

about divorced women (hence the mask).  Nevertheless, I want

to alert everyone about the dangers of these online gambling 

sites that ruined my home.  Sometimes these things end in 

suicides and murders.  Of course, our government is trying to

take some measures but ıt's not enough.  Gambling destroyed

my home because we went broke thanks to my husband's

gambling habit."

 

"Fleece & Release": Four Animals Destined for "Sacrifice" Get a Short Reprieve, in Sapanca

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 May 2025)

                  Alive and well...but for how long?

In Sapanca district of  Sakarya province, M.C. (27) and his 

wife G.C. (24) loaded four sacrificial animals into their

vehicle without paying the owner, but they were caught.

The incident occurred on 27 May in the Hacımercan location.

Seller T.D. (65, who raised the animals for sale, agreed

with the suspects for a price of 50,000 TL (about  $1,275)

but they made off with the creatures without paying T.D.

The Sapanca Gendarmerie sprung into action and looked at

camera footage from 11 different work places, as well as

researching the Plate Identification System.  The suspects

were tracked down to their home in Kurtuluş village in 

Adapazarı province and apprehended there on 28 May.

The four animals were found alive (although they will soon

be "sacrificed" during the upcoming Feast of the Sacrifice) 

and returned to T.D., while M.C. and G.C. were jailed. 

"Beat & Release": Holiday Resort Fined for Excluding Bachelor, in Hatay

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 May 2025)

Bachelor Beware!: comes with lots of screaming kids.

The Turkish Human Rights and Equality Council (TİHEK) has

imposed a 204,285 TL (about $62,000) fine on a holiday village

in Arsuz district of Hatay province for cancelling a bachelor

customer's reservation. (!)

Bachelor E.E. wanted to have a vacation at the "Defterdarlık"

(provincial registrar) Arsuz Training and Relaxation Facility but

his reservation application was rejected because he is single. This

prompted E. E. to seek redress with TİHEK , asserting that this 

sort of  discrimination against singles was both psychologically 

hurtful and illegal. 

When TİHEK asked the Hatay "Defterdarlık" for an explanation

the response was that the facility is essentially for families and 

that in previous times when bachelors were admitted fights erupted

frequently between families and the bachelors.  

However (!), TİHEK, citing existing non-discrimination laws,

rejected the facility's explanation and imposed a fine of 204,285 TL

on the facility.   

"Beat & Release": Former Film Star Stabbed to Death by Woman He Met on Social Media, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 May 2025)

Another failed May-December romance, courtesy of social

media. 

Mehmet Serdar Sulukahya (60), an actor who had roles with

such stars as Tarık Akan, Fatma Girik and Ahu Tuğba in

movies like "Beyaz Ölüm", "Hülyam" and "Yakılacak Kadın",

was living in Holland and visiting Istanbul from time to time,

staying in his house in Beşiktaş.  The other day he invited 

Fatma P. (20), whom he met on social media, to his house in

Beşiktaş . 

However (!), an argument erupted between them at the house

and Fatma hanım stabbed Sulukahya multiple times.  As he

stumbled down the stairs to seek help from a neighbor, Fatma

hanım fled the scene.  

Sulukahya died at a hospital , while police tracked down Fatma

hanım and took her into custody.  In her statement to police,

Fatma hanım claimed that Sulukahya had tried to rape her,

prompting the violent argument between them. 

Leading man looks once upon a time...and another

Fatma (Girik).

"Tag & Release": Laser Tag Targets Protest and Get Stabbed Instead, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 May 2025)

                        Not everyone wants to play.

In Bursa's İnegöl district at about 10 o'clock the night before 

last, Hasan T. (16) and Ahmet Akif (15) were sitting in Kültür

Park with their girlfriends when they were targeted with 

laser beams (!) by M.D. (17) and Ramazan Y. (20).  

Discomfited by the laser beams, the two teenagers began 

arguing with the laser beamers, who then stabbed them both (!).

Hasan T. was seriously wounded and hospitalized. Police

tracked down M..D. and Ramazan Y. and took them into

custody. 

 

"Beat & Release": Vacationers Found Secret Camera in Bungalow; Owner's Denial Crumbling, at Lake Sapanca

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 May 2025)

                  They wanted to stream it on TikTok.

Hürriyet is continuing to pursue details of the "bungalow 

scandal" in Sakarya's Sapanca Lake  district.  Mesut Kozan, 

together with his wife and 7-year-old daughter, stayed in the 

"Troy Suite" bungalow on 30 March and found a secret camera

made to appear like a lightbulb placed above the Jacuzzi in 

the bungalow (!). 

Kozan filed a police complaint that resulted in bungalow owner

Hüseyin Koşuk and his partner Tansel Soyçiçek being taken into

custody.  Both of them denied any knowledge of the secret 

camera but Soyçiçek's fingerprints were found on the camera (!) 

so both suspects were jailed. 

In addition, an examination of Koşuk's telephone revealed a 

picture of the secret camera (!)  An investigation is underway

to determine whose hand is touching the camera in the photograph.

Koşuk still claims that the hand is not his.  However (!), a technical

report has determined that the photograph was taken on 7 March

and an associated voice clip reflects Koşuk saying to someone:

"What happens if they find fingerprints?" 

"Bite & Release": Turkish Ultra-Swimmers Attacked by "Cookie Cutter" Shark and Jellyfish, in Hawaii

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 21 May 2025)

The real Cookie Monster...

Ultra-swimmers Murat Öz and Yasemin Altıntaş represent 

Turkey in their sport internationally.  The swimmers' course

is the strait between two land masses.   Most recently, they

were trying to traverse the 42-kilometer (!) Molokai course 

in Hawaii at midnight because the "cookie cutter" sharks 

there don't come to the surface when the moon is out. 

and wanna-be:

However (!),  this time was the exception - Öz was bitten by

one of the creatures and had to leave the course at the half-way

point. And Yasemin hanım, a few meters ahead of him, was

stung by a poisonous Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish!  

The two swimmers returned to Turkey yesterday.