Tuğrul Başar arrested in Istanbul after eight years on the run

Turkish authorities have arrested Tuğrul Başar, a fugitive who successfully evaded capture for eight years by adopting a female identity. Başar had been wanted since 2018 following a 2010 conviction for theft involving impersonating a public official.

During his time on the run, Başar underwent a significant physical transformation that rendered his previous police photographs obsolete. To further conceal his identity, he used his biological sister’s official Turkish identification documents. This allowed him to move through society without raising suspicion during security checks.

Police eventually located him in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul following an intensive investigation into his lifestyle. His true identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis. Because his legal gender was never officially changed in the civil registry, authorities intend to serve his three-year sentence in a male prison. He now faces additional investigations regarding the fraudulent use of personal identification data.