Turkish suspicious death investigations

Legal proceedings continue regarding separate suspicious deaths in Turkey.

In Manisa, the investigation into the 2023 death of occupational safety technician Naile Büşra Sarıgül has been reopened as a murder case. While the Manisa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initially attributed her fall at a construction site to a heart attack, new digital evidence discovered during an unrelated murder investigation in İzmir has prompted a new indictment. Prosecutors now allege that Fatih İnan sexually assaulted Sarıgül and pushed her from a height to simulate an industrial accident. İnan faces charges of qualified sexual assault and qualified intentional murder.

In Muğla, the trial concerning the 2010 death of model Aslı Baş, who fell from a villa terrace in Bodrum, has been adjourned until January 21, 2027. The Muğla 1st High Criminal Court delayed the hearing after the victim's family and their lawyers submitted excuses for their absence. The case centers on whether Baş’s fall from a 6.5-meter balcony was an accident or murder, a point contested by her father, Mehmet Yavuz Baş, who has cited inconsistencies in witness testimonies and emergency calls.

The court is currently awaiting a forensic report from the National Criminal Bureau regarding the potential recovery of deleted messages from the victim’s mobile phone and SIM card. Mehmet Yavuz Baş expressed frustration over the 16-year legal battle and technical difficulties regarding phone records, questioning, “Are they waiting for me to die? Will the court conclude when I die?”