Gaziantep land dispute leads to shooting of computer engineer

A dispute over olive groves in the İslahiye district of Gaziantep, Turkey, resulted in a shooting involving family members. During an olive harvest in the Boğaziçi neighborhood, 41-year-old computer engineer Barış Yılmaz was shot in the right big toe by his 60-year-old uncle, identified as S. Y.

Yılmaz reported that the confrontation began due to a disagreement over land ownership. He alleged that his uncle threatened both him and his father with death, specifically stating to his father, “I will lay you down like a dog carcass.” Yılmaz claimed he was attempting to harvest olives on land that belongs to him, while his uncle also asserted rights to the property.

Following the shooting, the uncle reportedly attempted to prevent bystanders and medical teams from assisting the injured Yılmaz, telling them to “clear the area.” Gendarmerie teams arrived at the scene and took the uncle into custody. Yılmaz was transported to a hospital for treatment and has since provided a statement to authorities. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.