28.04.2025 14:32
The trial of Ramazan Zıh, who is accused of killing Esat Çelik by firing six shots with his son's hunting rifle in an olive grove, after claiming that he harassed his wife and threatened his family with inappropriate photos, has begun. During the hearing, the presiding judge stated that it was found during the investigation that the victim's phone number was registered in the name of the defendant's wife and that a search had been detected between them.
On September 10, 2024, in the Orhaniye neighborhood of the Nilüfer district, Ramazan Zıh, who was engaged in farming, encountered Esat Çelik in an olive grove. Zıh claimed that Çelik had harassed his wife, N.Z., and had taken inappropriate photos of her to blackmail him. When a dispute between the parties escalated into a fight, Zıh fired six shots at Çelik with a licensed shotgun belonging to his son. As Esat Çelik collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood, gendarmerie and medical teams were dispatched to the scene upon Zıh's notification. Zıh surrendered to the arriving gendarmerie, while Çelik, who was taken to Bursa Uludağ University Hospital by ambulance, could not be saved.
"HE WANTED TO USE ME AND MY FAMILY FOR HIS PERVERTED THOUGHTS"
In his statement to the gendarmerie, Ramazan Zıh claimed that Esat Çelik, who lived in the same neighborhood, had been harassing his wife with messages since 2019 and that they had filed a criminal complaint against him. Zıh stated, "We had previously filed a complaint against this person. He was not arrested. When he sent similar messages again, I wanted to talk to him. When I approached him, he insulted me. When I fired into the air to scare him, I unintentionally caused his death. Çelik, who has psychological issues, aimed to use me and my family for his perverted thoughts."
"HE WAS TALKING NONSENSE ABOUT MY WIFE"
Zıh, who claimed that Çelik blackmailed him by sending inappropriate photos and videos of his wife, N.Z., to his son, said, "When he said he would share the images he claimed belonged to my wife on social media, I went crazy. He was also talking nonsense about my wife in our village. Our family unity was disrupted. Esat Kılıç threatened us by sending photos and videos of my wife to my son G.Z. via social media," he said.
"MY INTENTION WAS TO SCARE"
Ramazan Zıh, who was arrested for 'intentional murder,' began to be tried at the Bursa 8th High Criminal Court. The hearing was attended by the detained defendant Ramazan Zıh, Esat Çelik's wife Ruhiye Çelik, and the parties' lawyers. In his first defense at the hearing, the defendant stated that he realized Çelik had been bothering his wife 4-5 years ago and that he had seen him calling his wife on the phone one day, saying, "Esat was harassing my family and cursing. He sent my wife's private photos to my son's mobile phone. I filed a complaint against him. When he continued his threats and insults, I went to talk to him. When he insulted me too, I shot him with the gun I had with me. In our area, everyone has a gun to protect against wild boar and jackal attacks. That's why I was carrying the gun. My intention was to scare him," he stated.
THE DEFENDANT'S WIFE'S PHONE WAS REGISTERED IN THE VICTIM'S NAME
After the court president stated that the examination revealed that the defendant's wife's line was registered in the victim's name and that calls between them had been detected, Ramazan Zıh said, "When my son's phone received a photo of my wife, I asked, and he said, 'It was forced, he deceived me.' I had previously told Çelik, 'If you have a relationship with my wife, tell me.' On the day of the incident, when I stood up, the bullet came to him. He provoked me; I was fed up."
The victim's wife, Ruhiye Çelik, also stated that she learned about her husband's relationship but that he constantly denied it, saying, "My husband was not right, but he did not deserve this end."
"HE WAS THREATENING TO KILL MY SON AND HUSBAND"
As a witness, Zıh's wife N.Z. stated that Çelik had been bothering her for a long time and would approach her and make comments, saying, "I couldn't handle it anymore. He was waiting where I got off the bus. He was showing a gun and saying he would kill my son and husband. I was at a loss for what to do."
The prosecutor, who presented his opinion at the hearing, requested that Ramazan Zıh be punished for 'intentional murder' with the application of unjust provocation provisions, while the court panel adjourned the hearing.