08.02.2026 16:20
A Mevlid-i Sherif was held at the Sultanahmet Mosque for Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who was brutally murdered in Kadıköy. Many people, including Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, the Minguzzi family, and relatives attended. The moments when his father, Italian chef Andrea Minguzzi, quietly listened to the prayers recited with a rosary in hand in the front row drew attention.
A Mevlid-i Şerif was held at the Sultanahmet Mosque for Ahmet Minguzzi, who was brutally murdered in Kadıköy. The Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, the Chairman of the Future Party Ahmet Davutoğlu, his wife Mrs. Sare Davutoğlu, relatives and friends of the Minguzzi family, and many citizens attended the Mevlid, where prayers were recited for Ahmet Minguzzi.
HIS FATHER SAT IN THE FRONT ROW WITH A PRAYER BEAD
One of the striking moments during the Mevlid was Italian chef Andrea Minguzzi, Ahmet Minguzzi's father. In the footage shared by journalist Emrullah Erdinç, Andrea Minguzzi was seen quietly listening to the prayers recited by the imams in the front row with a prayer bead in his hand. His father's composure and the deep pain he experienced moved those present in the mosque.
Throughout the Mevlid, the Quran and prayers were recited in memory of Ahmet Minguzzi. Those attending the ceremony expressed their wishes for justice and mercy for Minguzzi, who was killed at a young age.
"WHAT A GENTLEMAN, RESPECTFUL FATHER"
Users commented on the deep pain experienced by father Minguzzi and his respect for the Islamic religion.
- Yes, he has a prayer bead in his hand. Mr. Andrea never spoke ill, even though his child was murdered in our country, showed respect for our religion, and had his son's burial conducted according to Islam. There will be a mass for Ahmet in the church tomorrow; I hope our nation shows the same respect.
- May God have mercy. I wish patience to the grieving father and mother.
- What a respectful, gentlemanly, father-like father. May God grant healing to your heart, dear Mr. Andrea.
MINISTER TUNÇ ALSO ATTENDED THE MEVLID
Minister Tunç, who attended the Mevlid, made the following statements to reporters upon his exit:
"The fact that children commit crimes against each other in this way or that children commit crimes against adults has brought the issue of juvenile delinquency to the country's agenda. Here, especially the issues related to the punishment of children under the age of 18 are regulated in Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code.
For many years, Turkey's practice in this regard has consisted of three stages. Children under the age of 12 have no criminal responsibility, and measures specific to this age group are applied. For the age group of 12-15, there is a reduction in the sentence by half. For the age group of 15-18, a reduction is also applied. In cases of intentional murder, for the 15-18 age group, the aggravated life sentence corresponds to up to 24 years, and for the 12-15 age group, up to 15 years can be imposed; this is how our law is.
When we look at the practices of other countries, similar regulations can be seen. In some countries, there is no criminal responsibility under the age of 15, in some it is 14, and in others, it is 13, and this practice in Turkey has been maintained as 12 years since 2005.
"IT IS CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO RE-EVALUATE OUR LEGISLATION"
At this point, it is clear that we need to ensure deterrence and re-evaluate our legislation to prevent children from participating in such crimes, given the public's sensitivity and the need for deterrence. In this context, as the Ministry of Justice, we have worked on a draft for our parliamentary group. In this draft, especially in cases where children in this age group are involved in crime, it is proposed that judges be given discretion based on each case and incident, considering factors such as the manner of the crime, the child's tendency to commit crimes, past criminal records, and the intensity of intent.
"WE HAVE SUBMITTED THE DRAFT TO OUR PARLIAMENTARY GROUP"
We have submitted this draft to our parliamentary group, which evaluated it, and then discussions were held with other political parties; an agreement was reached with all political party groups in the parliament. It was concluded that especially the reasons leading children to crime should be identified, these reasons should be eliminated, and the necessary measures, both in terms of punishment and preventive measures, should be thoroughly researched, and a legal amendment should be made accordingly. Currently, our Istanbul deputy, Ms. Tuğba Turgut, is continuing the work of this commission, and after the commission's work is completed, legal regulations will be brought to our parliament based on the resulting report.
Additionally, there is a provision in the 11th Judicial Package that has been legislated in this regard. In cases where children are used in organized crimes, the penalties for the organization leaders and members, as well as those who use children in crimes, have been increased by half with the 11th Judicial Package. The regulations regarding the penalties in Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code will also be implemented after the commission's work.
The processes of the cases related to both of our children and other children are ongoing. There are also some investigations and cases across the country that we cannot name here. The investigation into Atlas Çağlayan is ongoing at the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and the process regarding those who committed crimes in the 12-15 age group is being closely monitored. Additionally, an investigation has been opened regarding individuals who threatened the Çağlayan family via social media, and four people have been identified and arrested.
Similarly, investigations have been opened regarding threats and insults made against Ahmet Minguzzi's family via social media, and those identified have been arrested, and necessary criminal sanctions have been applied. A total of four people have been sentenced to up to five years for threatening the family, praising the crime and the criminal, and insulting, as well as one person for vandalizing the grave.
"OUR SENSITIVITY ON THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY HIGH, AND OUR DETERMINATION IS COMPLETE"
Our sensitivity on this issue is extremely high. As can be seen from the statements of our President during cabinet meetings and afterwards, our determination on this issue is complete. We need to take the necessary measures with sensitivity by families and the relevant institutions of our state to protect our children and keep them away from both the negative effects of social media and crime. The protection of children has become an important issue worldwide, and in Turkey, the Child Protection Law came into effect in 2005, and regulations aimed at protecting children and preventing abuse have been implemented in our constitution. We continue to maintain our sensitivity regarding the implementation of these constitutional and legal regulations.
We are closely following the investigations, and we pray for the mercy of Allah for our child Ahmet Minguzzi, our child Atlas Çağlayan, and all children who have been brutally murdered, sharing the pain of their families from the heart. We know that the pain of a mother who has lost a child is indescribable, and we respect this sensitivity and emphasize our determination to take appropriate measures.
We did not leave the family alone on the first anniversary of our child Ahmet's death; we were in constant contact with the family and participated in the Mevlid program to pray.
May God never let our families experience such pain again. We express that we stand by the Minguzzi family and all families who have lost their children during this process, and that our esteemed President has been in contact with the family since the beginning of the incident, giving his instructions, and that necessary legal arrangements will be on the agenda once the commission's work is completed. Once again, we pray for mercy from God for our dear Ahmet, our dear Atlas, and the other children, and we wish condolences and patience to their families and our nation.