Ferhat Açık murder suspects captured in Van
Wedding photographer Ferhat Açık, 21, was reported missing on 13 July after his brother filed a missing‑person report. Police later located his body buried in a forested area of Arnavutköy; the corpse showed multiple stab wounds and a severed throat.
Investigation identified three primary suspects – Okan K., Rıdvan K. and Poyraz K. – who had previously photographed Açık’s wedding. The suspects confessed that they lured Açık under the pretext of an outdoor shoot, kidnapped him, beat him, stabbed him eight times and cut his throat before burying the body. They then tried to steal his car and access his bank accounts, found no money, and attempted to forge a power‑of‑attorney at a notary, which was rejected.
A joint operation employing UAVs and a search dog named “Zeyna” led to the arrest of seven suspects in Van; two were caught in the city, while Okan K. was apprehended near the Iran border after a UAV‑assisted chase. All seven were transferred to court for prosecution.
Entities: Arnavutköy district · Ferhat Açık · Istanbul Police · Okan K. · Poyraz K. · Rıdvan K. · Turkish National Police · Van Province
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] A body matching Ferhat Açık’s description was found in a forested area of Arnavutköy with multiple stab wounds and a severed throat. (Forensic investigation of Ferhat Açık’s murder)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The suspects attempted to steal Ferhat Açık’s car and access his bank accounts but found no money. (Police interrogation)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The suspects tried to forge a power‑of‑attorney at a notary to sell Açık’s car; the notary rejected the request. (Court and notary records)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Ferhat Açık was reported missing on 13 July after his brother Habip Açık filed a missing‑person report. (Ferhat Açık murder investigations)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The murder was pre‑planned, involving the use of an outdoor shoot pretext to lure the victim and then assault and bury him in the forest. (Suspect confessions)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Police identified Okan K., Rıdvan K., and Poyraz K. as suspects in the murder. (Police statements)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Two suspects were arrested in Van, while Okan K. was captured near the Iran border with UAV assistance. (Operation reports)
- [● 5 SOURCES] An earlier kidnapping attempt a month before the murder failed when the intended victim arrived with friends. (Suspect statements)