Volkan Karaçay convicted of killing wife Bedriye, body found in Istanbul forest
Volkan Karaçay, 30, strangled his 24‑year‑old wife Bedriye Karaçay on the night of 22 July 2023 in Gültepe, Kağıthane, Istanbul. He wrapped the corpse in a blanket, loaded it onto the back seat of his mother‑in‑law’s car and drove to the Ayazağa forest in Sarıyer, where he left the body for about seven minutes before returning home. A missing‑person report filed by a relative on 23 July led police to the forest; investigators recovered the body, noting damage caused by wild animals. Karaçay was arrested, confessed to the murder, and was later sentenced to imprisonment by a Turkish court.
The case attracted extensive media coverage because of the brutal method, the brief but deliberate disposal of the body, and the suspect’s initial denial followed by confession. The investigation relied on security‑camera footage, forensic analysis, and the suspect’s own statements, confirming the sequence of events and establishing his guilt.
Entities: Ayazağa Forest, Sarıyer, Istanbul · Ayazağa forest · Ayazağa forest (Sarıyer) · Bedriye Karaçay · Gökhan G. · Gültepe neighbourhood · Istanbul · Istanbul Police (İstanbul Asayiş Şube Müdürlüğü) · Kağıthane · Kağıthane (Istanbul) · Kağıthane district, Istanbul · Sarıyer Ayazağa forest
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 14 SOURCES] Volkan Karaçay was sentenced to imprisonment. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] He wrapped the body in a blanket and left it in the Ayazağa forest in Sarıyer. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Volkan Karaçay was arrested after a missing‑person report was filed by a relative. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Bedriye Karaçay disappeared on 21 July 2023 in Gültepe, Kağıthane, Istanbul. (Existing claim)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Volkan Karaçay confessed to the murder and led police to the body. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Forensic examination found animal damage on the corpse. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Volkan Karaçay strangled his wife Bedriye Karaçay. (existing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Security‑camera footage shows Volkan Karaçay driving to the forest, staying about seven minutes, then returning. (Existing claim)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The murder occurred on 22 July 2023 in Gültepe, Kağıthane, Istanbul. (existing)
- [● 12 SOURCES] The suspect spent about seven minutes in the forest before returning home. (new)