Bakırköy Court in Istanbul stops pen‑shaped weapon entry attempt

On 22 June 2026, 66‑year‑old Nahit Yıldız tried to enter the Bakırköy Court’s Ek Hizmet building in Istanbul. A routine X‑ray security check triggered an alarm, and officers discovered a custom‑made pen‑shaped firearm, a scalpel and a can of pepper spray in his bag. The suspect was detained, questioned and later sentenced by a magistrate for illegal possession of an unlicensed weapon and related items. Video from the security cameras captured the moment Yıldız attempted to pass the prohibited items. In his statement he said the pen‑shaped device had been given to him by a friend in the mid‑1990s and that the scalpel was meant for cutting glass film for a community pool. The investigation into his motives and the source of the weapons continues, and security measures at the courthouse have been heightened.