10.11.2026 16:13
Funda Z., 34, who was tried for stabbing to death her 20-year-old boyfriend Serkan Ceviz, with whom she had an argument in Kayseri, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “deliberate premeditated murder.” The court did not apply an unjust provocation reduction. The indictment stated that the defendant had previously also threatened to kill Ceviz. When the verdict was announced, the victim’s mother fell ill.
The case of the murder that occurred in Kayseri 10 months ago has been concluded. The defendant argued that the incident developed suddenly and that there was no intent to kill. The court, however, sentenced the defendant for the crime of premeditated murder.
JUDGMENT HEARING HELD
The detained defendant Funda Z., the mother and father of the deceased Serkan Ceviz, and the parties’ attorneys attended the judgment hearing held at the Kayseri 1st High Criminal Court. The trial prosecutor reiterated the opinion he had given at the previous hearing and requested that the defendant be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of “premeditated intentional killing.”
“I HAD NO INTENT TO KILL”
Funda Z., stating that she did not accept the accusation in the opinion, claimed that the incident did not occur intentionally and deliberately. The defendant said, “The incident between me and the deceased developed suddenly at home. There was no premeditation. When the deceased fell to the ground, I called an ambulance. When the medical teams arrived, the deceased was alive. We had an on-and-off relationship. I would not have wanted it to be like this. I am very sad and regretful. I had no intent to kill.”
FAMILY REQUESTED A SENTENCE WITHOUT REDUCTION
The complainant mother Melek Ceviz and father Osman Ceviz also requested that the defendant be punished without any reduction.
NO UNJUST PROVOCATION REDUCTION APPLIED
After hearing the statements of the parties’ attorneys on the merits, the court panel sentenced the defendant to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of “premeditated intentional killing.” The panel did not apply an unjust provocation reduction for the defendant. At the time the verdict was announced, the deceased’s mother Melek Ceviz fainted in the courtroom.
ARGUMENT ON THE ROOFTOP FLOOR ENDED IN MURDER
The incident occurred on January 11 around 18:00 on the rooftop floor of a 5-story building on Uzunyol Street in the Selçuklu neighborhood of Melikgazi district. The argument that broke out between Funda Z. and her boyfriend Serkan Ceviz quickly escalated. During the scuffle, Funda Z. wounded Ceviz with a knife. Medical teams who arrived upon the report determined that Ceviz had lost his life.
Funda Z., who was taken into custody, had claimed in her statement at the police station that Ceviz wanted to have sexual intercourse with her against her will. Funda Z., who was referred to the courthouse, was arrested and sent to prison. Serkan Ceviz was buried in Saraycık Neighborhood of Kocasinan district.
THREATENING MESSAGES IN THE INDICTMENT
In the indictment prepared against Funda Z., it was stated that there were threatening messages directed at Ceviz before the incident and that the defendant had also previously threatened to kill Ceviz. The indictment included the assessment that the act was carried out with consecutive knife blows exceeding the mere aim of wounding, and that the decision to kill was made in advance. It was also included in the indictment that the Ceviz family had filed a complaint because of the threats before the incident.
SHE DESCRIBED HIS MILITARY SERVICE PERIOD AT THE FIRST HEARING
Funda Z., who made her defense at the first hearing of the case, had said that she and the deceased had worked at the same factory 2 years earlier and that a romantic relationship later began between them. The defendant had argued that she threatened him for this reason, claiming that Ceviz went to do his military service in June 2025 and cheated on her during this period. Funda Z., recounting that she invited the deceased to her home on the day of the incident, had said, “I wanted to plunge the knife into his leg so that the deceased would get away from me. There was a scuffle between us.”
At the same hearing, the mother Melek Ceviz had claimed that her son wanted to break up with the defendant, but that Funda Z. threatened her son with his 10-year-old sibling.