İstanbul Ümraniye murder trial of footballer Kubilay Kaan Kundakçı

The first hearing of the case concerning the 19 March shooting that killed 21‑year‑old footballer Kubilay Kaan Kundakçı took place at the Anadolu 27th Heavy Penal Court in Istanbul. Because the courtroom was too small, the session was moved to the Şehit Hakan Kılıç Conference Hall. The detained defendants – singer Aleyna Kalaycıoğlu, alleged shooter Alaattin Kadayıfçıoğlu, and folk‑singer İzzet Yıldızhan (who appeared via SEGBİS) – were questioned for the first time.

Aleyna Kalaycıoğlu denied the charge of “intentional homicide‑inducement”, stating that she had not planned the attack and “did not want anyone to be harmed”. She also testified that she saw Kadayıfçıoğlu’s gun for the first time that night and that the weapon fired unexpectedly. In court she declared her monthly earnings to be about 300 000 Turkish lira. "My average monthly income is 300 000 lira," she told the judge.

The victim’s family expressed deep grief and demanded the harshest penalties. Mother Ülker Kundakçı said, "My son was killed because of a love‑triangle; this is an execution," while father Cemil Kundakçı asked, "How can anyone look at my son’s corpse?" The court ordered that Aleyna Kalaycıoğlu’s house‑arrest sentence be lifted, kept the defendants in pre‑trial detention, and postponed the trial to 13 July for further evidence.

The hearing also featured testimony from rapper Vahap Canbay, who recounted the night’s chaotic events, and emotional exchanges between the Kundakçı family and the accused. The case continues to draw national attention.