12.09.2025 18:52
Sercan Güler, who was arrested on the charge of strangling his wife Sibel Güler in Istanbul, appeared before the judge for the first time at the Bakırköy 24th High Criminal Court. In his defense, Güler denied the allegations, stating, "My wife died on her own; I was sleeping." The court postponed the hearing to a later date.
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Sercan Güler, who was arrested on the charge of strangling his wife Sibel Güler to death in Istanbul, said during the trial he was being prosecuted, "My wife died by herself, I was sleeping."
On February 12, 2025, in Esenyurt, Istanbul, family members who heard screams coming from the house at night noticed that 33-year-old Sibel Güler was lying motionless when they entered the house.
HUSBAND OF THE DECEASED WOMAN ARRESTED
Health teams who arrived at the scene determined that the young woman had lost her life. Sercan Güler, who was taken into custody, was arrested by the court he was brought before.
The autopsy report prepared by the Forensic Medicine Institution revealed that Sibel Güler died due to pressure applied to her neck and her mouth being covered by hand.
"MY WIFE DIED BY HERSELF"
The first hearing of the case opened regarding the incident was held today at the Bakırköy 24th High Criminal Court. In the courtroom, the detained defendant Sercan Güler was present along with the family of the deceased Sibel Güler and the lawyers of both parties.
In his defense during the hearing, defendant Sercan Güler stated, "My wife died by herself. There was no argument or fight between us. I was sleeping next to my wife. When I woke up, I realized she wasn't breathing. I was in shock. I lost control. I started to scream. There were also children in the house. My mother, brother, and sister, who live in the opposite apartment, woke up. They came to our house and called 112. The statement in the autopsy report, 'death due to neck pressure and covering the mouth with a hand' is not true. I only checked if she was breathing with my finger. The neck pressure found in the autopsy could be due to that," he said.
"MY MENTAL BALANCE IS NOT RIGHT"
Saying, "I don't remember anything about the moment of the incident," Güler also stated, "My mental balance is not right. I am taking medication. I stayed in Bakırköy Mental and Neurological Diseases Hospital for 5 months," he expressed.
"MY FATHER SCREAMED 'GOD, FORGIVE MY SIN'"
The defendant's child, N.Y.G., was heard as a witness during the hearing. Despite being young, he shared details about the night of the incident:
"I woke up to my brother's crying. My father gave my brother chocolate. He went to the kitchen to pray. Then he started screaming by himself: 'My God, whom I am sacrificed to, forgive my sin.' I called my mother, but she didn't respond."
"HE HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN ON THE PRAYER RUG"
Serdar Güler, the defendant's brother who was at home on the night of the incident, described what he experienced with the following words: "I woke up to the screams and went home. I saw Sercan on the prayer rug. He was screaming, 'My God, help me.' My mother wanted to open the door, but it was locked. The key was in Sercan's hand. We took it and opened the door. We encountered Sibel's lifeless body. There was a spoon in her mouth."
HEARING ADJOURNED
The court panel, which listened to the parties, rejected the request for another mental health report for the defendant and adjourned the hearing to complete the missing issues.
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