08.07.2026 19:52
In Eyüpsultan, the first hearing of the trial of 17-year-old unlicensed driver Timur Cihantimur, who caused the accident that resulted in the death of Oğuz Murat Aci, on charges of "causing death and injury by conscious negligence," was held. Witnesses of the horrific accident recounted that night. One witness, who stated they were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, said, "The speed was over 100, the last I saw was 170. We said, 'Slow down, something will happen,' but Timur didn't listen to us."
In Eyüpsultan, on March 1, 2024, unlicensed driver Timur Cihantimur, who was 17 years old, crashed into three ATV-type vehicles parked on the roadside due to a malfunction while driving, resulting in the death of 29-year-old Oğuz Murat Aci and injuries to others present at the scene.
After the accident, Cihantimur's mother, Eylem Tok, allegedly cooperated with individuals, including father Bülent Cihantimur, to remove her son from the scene and later smuggle him abroad. The investigation into Timur Cihantimur has been completed, and considering he was 17 at the time of the incident, a prison sentence of 1 year and 9 months to 12 years has been requested for the crime of 'causing death and injury by conscious negligence'.
Meanwhile, a red notice request has been issued for Cihantimur, and his extradition from the USA is awaited.
"THEY LEFT MY CHILD TO DIE"
The first hearing regarding the incident was held at the Gaziosmanpaşa 4th Heavy Penal Court. The defendant Cihantimur, whose extradition process has not yet been completed, could not attend, while the complainant father Özer Aci, mother Pervin Aci, and the lawyers of the parties were present. In the hearing, complainant father Özer Aci stated that he lost his 29-year-old son and said: 'Death is common to everyone; we will all die one day. I complain about everyone who caused this incident. While I was worried about my son in the hospital, they were busy fleeing to the USA via Egypt. My child waited at the scene for 81 minutes before reaching the hospital. They left the country within 2 hours. I am saddened; our humanity has been lost. This child was unlicensed, yet he was given a car. He was speeding at 160-170 kilometers per hour. If they had helped my child there, perhaps my child would still be alive. They left my child to die. There is abandonment resulting in death in this case. My son died from blood loss. Even a person who hits a cat stops to check, but they hit and ran. I have taken refuge in and trusted the high court. I believe this court will make a good decision.'
The complainant mother Pervin Aci stated in her declaration: 'I am burning with the pain of losing my child. Being a mother is very difficult. I complain about everyone; I want them to receive the harshest punishment.'
"TIMUR WAS DRIVING FAST FOR THAT ROAD"
M. E. Y., a friend of Timur Cihantimur who testified as a 'witness', said: 'Timur is my friend, though not very close. On the day of the incident, I was at a complex with my friends. While sitting, Timur and his friends were also there. My friend asked someone from Timur's group to drop us home. Two of my friends got into the car Timur was driving. I got into another car behind them. First, we got gasoline. Then, we were heading to a forested area near Kemerburgaz for a drive. While we were behind, the car Timur was driving passed us. Timur was driving fast for that road. Then suddenly, as we were taking a turn, we heard brake sounds. The car skidded and fell into a water channel. At first, I thought they had an accident on their own. We later saw that they had hit someone. I don't remember what Timur did after the accident. The road was dark, and we didn't see any other vehicles until the accident. We didn't see any ATVs or similar vehicles on the road earlier. I don't know if Timur had consumed alcohol. After the accident, Timur went to the injured and checked on them. We went to the other cars 10-15 minutes after the accident. I waited at the scene for 30-40 minutes. Firefighters, police, and civilian vehicles arrived at the scene.'
"WE SAID SLOW DOWN, SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN, BUT TIMUR DIDN'T LISTEN TO US"
Witness B. A., who was at the scene with Timur Cihantimur and another friend, stated: 'Other friends were in another car. We went for a tour and entered a forest road. There, Timur sped up a bit. When entering a turn, we hit the group on ATVs. Our car flew into a canal. Everyone got out of the car; there were injured in our car too. An ambulance and firefighters arrived. We left the scene 15-20 minutes after the firefighters arrived. I don't know how many kilometers per hour we were going, but it was clearly above the speed limit. I remember that Timur was exceeding the speed limit even though two years have passed since the incident. The speed limit was over 100; I last saw it at 170. We said, 'Slow down, something will happen,' but Timur didn't listen to us. My other friends and I warned Timur many times. Then Timur lost control while entering the turn. He turned the steering wheel left, and we hit the ATV group. I did not see with my own eyes that Timur helped the injured.'
"TIMUR CALLED HIS PRIVATE DRIVER AND SHOUTED 'MY LIFE IS OVER, HELP ME'"
Witness A. A., who stated he was in Timur Cihantimur's car during the incident, said: 'On the day of the incident, we decided to go for a drive with two cars. I was in Timur's car. Timur was driving fast. While moving, we couldn't make the turn and a collision occurred. I noticed an injured person being dragged under our car. Passersby were helping the injured. We called a friend to pick us up. Meanwhile, an ambulance and firefighters arrived. When we took the turn, the ATV vehicles were in a blind spot. After getting out of the car, Timur called his private driver named A. and shouted on the phone, 'My life is over, help me.''
"TIMUR, I, AND A FRIEND LEFT THE SCENE IN THE CAR THAT TIMUR'S MOTHER ARRIVED IN"
Witness K. A., who stated he was sitting in the front right seat of the accident vehicle, said: 'While driving on the forest road, we saw a red light on the right side of the road; Timur turned the steering wheel left. The car skidded and we hit the ATVs. Our car fell into a water channel. We got out of the car and first saw two injured people. We tried to communicate with the injured. Meanwhile, Timur called his mother. His mother came to the scene with another woman. Timur, I, and a friend left the scene in the car that Timur's mother arrived in. They dropped us off at Kemer Country, and they continued on. After the accident, Timur tried to help the injured. There were no other vehicles on the road until the accident. Other vehicles arrived after the accident. The ATVs were on the right edge of the lane we were traveling in. They only had their lights on; there was nothing else as a warning. Before the accident, the distance between us and the car behind increased. When he turned the steering wheel due to the ATVs parked on the right, Timur lost control. So, he turned left to avoid hitting the ATVs. Timur was trying to communicate with the injured. We were all in shock and didn't call the emergency services. We heard that others from the surroundings had called 112. When we left the scene, only firefighters were there. Later, we heard that police arrived.'
"LAWYERS OF ŞÜKRİYE ACİ: WE ARE NOT COMPLAINANTS AGAINST THE DEFENDANTS, COMPENSATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED"
Meanwhile, speaking about the testimonies, the complainants stated that they did not agree with the witnesses' statements and did not accept the unfavorable points. The lawyers of Oğuz Murat Aci's wife, Şükriye Aci, stated that compensation payment had been received and that they were not complainants against the defendants.
"OĞUZ MURAT ACİ'S SISTER: THE LAWYER OF THE PERSON I CALL MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IS ON THE OTHER SIDE"
Additionally, Aci's sister, Ezgi Hilal Büyük, who spoke at the hearing, said: 'I don't know what to say.'
The lawyer of the person I call my bride, with whom I ate from the same plate, sits where the opposing party is and says 'all our damages have been compensated'. I demand the defendant be punished," she said. During the hearing, Şükriye Aci, the mother of Oğuz Murat Aci, fell ill while the defendant's lawyers were making their defense. The plaintiff mother was removed from the courtroom.
THE DEFENDANT'S EXTRADITION PROCESS WILL BE AWAITED
Announcing its interim decision, the court panel ruled that the extradition process of the defendant Timur Cihantimur should be awaited and the deficiencies in the case file should be addressed, adjourning the hearing to September 11.