27.12.2025 18:55
In Tokat, it has been revealed that 31-year-old Hatice Yalman, who was allegedly killed by Mustafa Koç, with whom she was living in a religious marriage, made a gesture to the cashier in a market they entered to buy alcohol, which is recognized as a call for help in international literature.
On March 29, upon receiving a report of a motorcycle accident in Tokat, teams went to Akşemsettin Street and found Hatice Yalman and Mustafa Koç injured. Yalman was taken to Tokat State Hospital but unfortunately could not be saved despite all interventions and passed away.
BRUISES FOUND ON HER BODY
During the examination, bruises were detected on Yalman's body aside from the accident. Bloodied stones were found by the Hazine stream, located 400 meters from the scene. When it was understood that the blood traces on the stones belonged to Yalman, a murder investigation was initiated, and Mustafa Koç, who was detained as a murder suspect, was arrested by the court and sent to prison.
The Tokat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Tokat Provincial Police Department filed charges against Mustafa Koç for complicity in intentional murder and against 7 others for the crime of destroying evidence. The 7 individuals, apart from Koç, were released under judicial control by the court.
FIRST HEARING HELD
The first hearing of the murder case was held at the Tokat 3rd High Criminal Court. In the indictment prepared by the Tokat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, aggravated life imprisonment was requested for Mustafa Koç for the crime of 'Qualified Intentional Murder', and the 7 individuals being tried without arrest appeared before the judge for the first time. Relatives of Hatice Yalman and the attorneys for both sides also attended the hearing.
THEY LIVED IN A RELIGIOUS MARRIAGE FOR 4.5 YEARS, HE SAID 'NOT MURDER' BUT ACCIDENT
During the hearing, the detained defendant, married and a father of 3, Mustafa Koç, stated that he had been living with Yalman in a religious marriage for 4.5 years, claiming that he was drunk on the day of the incident and that a dispute arose between them over infidelity. In his defense, Koç stated: "I left the house. I got on my motorcycle, and she followed me. She got on the back of the motorcycle. We went to a liquor store. I bought 2 more beers. I don't understand why I made a 4-finger sign at the liquor store. Then we went to the place where the incident occurred, and she tried to convince me that I didn't cheat on her. We stayed there for 1 hour, and when I pushed her away saying 'go away', she fell. When I came to, she was covered in blood. I called my sister to get a car. Then my phone died. I threw her onto the motorcycle. When I was getting off from where I was, we fell into a pit. The motorcycle overturned. We rolled over, and I did CPR there. Then I took her home. I told them to call an ambulance quickly. I took her to the bathroom. I didn't think she was dead. I thought she had fainted. I had no way to take her to the hospital by motorcycle. I held her under water in the bathroom. She had no pulse. The ambulance came, and I said 'stop, I will take her back to where she was.' This has nothing to do with it. I sent the ambulance away. When I tried to lift her again to get her out of the house, she fell again. She hit her head again. When she first fell, she had no pulse. There was a car in front of the building. I laid her on the back seat of the car. I told O.S. to follow. When we turned to the place we were going, it was a dirt road. While going, I fell with the motorcycle. I took her out of the car. I was going to call the ambulance there. I never got over the shock. I told my brother-in-law to go. I jumped into the road, and 2 cars stopped. I said I had an accident. They took me to other hospitals with ambulances. The police came to the hospital, and I can't believe she is dead. She is my wife of 4.5 years; she cheated on me, it was just an accident. None of these are at fault in the incident. The incident happened exactly as I described. This incident was an accident," he said.
"I WILL BE A PLAINTIFF UNTIL THE END OF MY LIFE"
Hatice Yalman's father, Duran Yalman, who attended the hearing, said, "Mustafa Koç came to us in the evening. He said we need to talk. He took her and left. He swore as he was leaving. Mustafa Koç killed my child. If he brings my child back, I will drop my case. I am a complainant. I can't sleep until morning. They are lying. Mustafa Koç was providing for my child by making her work in casinos. He swore on the Quran that he would not do anything and took her away. I will be a plaintiff until the end of my life; I am a complainant," he said.
ASKED FOR HELP IN THE MARKET
After the hearing, Hatice Yalman's lawyer, Selinay Arslan, responding to questions from the press, stated, "Hatice Yalman is not a victim of simple intentional murder disguised as an accident. Hatice Yalman was brutally and savagely murdered. Before her murder, she made the sign of a call for help, which is recognized in international literature. She made this sign 2 hours before her murder. This shows the panic and fear she experienced. She did this in a market in the center of Tokat. The cashier did not understand this. This also indicates how important a woman's life is and how significant the sign is. She is calling for help at a moment when help could be available. Because the other party did not understand or see it, Hatice Yalman was taken away from life," she said.
The hearing was adjourned by the court to February 13, 2026.