Istanbul Court Sends Bülent Gündüz to Trial in 2016 Aynur Kanbur Murder

On 24 March 2016, Mezdeke dance troupe member Aynur Kanbur was shot dead outside her home in Şişli, Istanbul. After a lengthy investigation, suspect Bülent Gündüz confessed to the killing, saying, "Üzerime gelmeye başlayınca silahımı çıkardım, ateş ettim" (when he started to approach, I drew my gun and fired).

Recent police work has released surveillance footage from the reconstruction of the crime scene, showing Gündüz describing the attack to investigators. The suspect and two alleged accomplices, Fazlı K. and Serdar K., have now been transferred to the Istanbul Court of Justice for trial.

Further evidence emerged when a search of Gündüz’s Sarıyer residence uncovered a long‑barrel rifle and a gas mask, adding new material to the case. The investigation, led by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office, continues to examine the motives and details of the 2016 murder.