06.11.2026 07:20
Arif Sefa Özdemir, who killed 8 people and seriously injured 1 person in Afyonkarahisar, was met with the reaction of citizens at the hospital where he was taken for a health check after being caught in Eskişehir. Citizens expressing their anger called out to the suspect, "Let him go for 2 minutes!" and "Didn't your conscience ache at all?" The suspect, who was revealed to have introduced himself as an MİT officer and carjacked two automobiles while fleeing, was transferred to Afyonkarahisar under tight security measures.
Arif Sefa Özdemir (28), the suspect in the armed attacks that killed 8 people in the villages of Yukarıtandır, Ayazini and Kıyır in the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar, was caught in Eskişehir, where he had fled, in a joint operation by gendarmerie and police teams. The detained suspect was brought under heavy security to Eskişehir Yunus Emre State Hospital for a health check.
“LET HIM GO FOR 2 MINUTES!”
While the suspect, who underwent a health check at the hospital, was being taken outside accompanied by teams, citizens nearby reacted. One of the citizens, angry over the attacks that caused the deaths of eight people, shouted, “Let him go for 2 minutes!”, while another reacted to the suspect with the words, “Didn't your conscience bother you at all?” Security forces put the suspect into a vehicle under heavy security and removed him from the area.
KILLED 8 PEOPLE, SERIOUSLY INJURED 1 PERSON
In the armed attacks that occurred in Afyonkarahisar on November 5, 8 people lost their lives and 1 person was seriously injured. After the attacks carried out at different points in İhsaniye district, numerous gendarmerie and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. In the examinations, it was determined that 3 people were shot dead in the Ayazini village area and 3 people in the Kıyır village area. The 2 women found seriously injured in Yukarıtandır village also died in the hospital where they were taken.
It was learned that the deceased were Ahmet Uzel (57), Bekir Toprak (50), Noman Toprak (56), Seydi Ahmet Aydoğmuş (73), Satı Aydoğmuş (68), İsmail Şen (61), Hilal Mete (31) and Ayşe Sena Demir (46). It was reported that among the dead were two teachers working at Yukarıtandır Secondary School.
WHILE FLEEING, HE PRESENTED HIMSELF AS A MİT OFFICER
It emerged that Özdemir, who fled to Eskişehir after the massacre, came across 19-year-old Talha Gökgöz and his friend Kamil Çakmak at the Çatören Dam area of Kırka Neighborhood in Seyitgazi district. The suspect, who introduced himself as a MİT officer, took the young people's IDs and phones and then began searching their car. Then Özdemir, who threatened the young people by pointing his shotgun at them, took the car key and left the area.
Talha Gökgöz, describing the moments of fear he experienced, stated that he had to give the car key when the suspect pointed the shotgun at his friend, and said, “If we had not given it, he would have shot both me and my friend.”
THE CAR HE HIJACKED GOT STUCK IN THE MUD
The suspect, who hijacked the car with plate number 26 APL 557 belonging to Talha Gökgöz, advanced as far as Taşlık Neighborhood. However, when the vehicle got stuck in the mud, he abandoned the car and began fleeing on foot. Later, Özdemir also hijacked the car with plate number 26 NZ 187 belonging to a person selling milk in the same area and continued his escape.
Police and gendarmerie teams, who took action after a tip-off, wanted to stop the car used by the suspect at a checkpoint. The suspect, who was stopped when the teams opened fire on the vehicle's tires, responded to the security forces with a weapon. In the ensuing clash, a non-commissioned officer was slightly injured in the ear, while Özdemir was captured alive.
TAKEN TO AFYONKARAHİSAR
Arif Sefa Özdemir, who underwent a health check in Eskişehir, was handed over to Afyonkarahisar Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams after procedures at the Odunpazarı District Gendarmerie Command. The suspect was taken to Afyonkarahisar, where the investigation is being conducted.
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Afyonkarahisar Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 1 deputy chief prosecutor and 3 public prosecutors were assigned. While investigations continue into why the attacks were carried out, a publication ban decision was also issued regarding the incident.