30.04.2026 02:41
Bone fragments discovered during road construction works in Ankara's Polatlı district have brought the unsolved 15-year-old case of Bünyamin Koçak back to the agenda.
Bünyamin Koçak, a 38-year-old father of two from the Polatlı district of Ankara, disappeared on April 5, 2011, and was never heard from again. His wife, Sultan Koçak, filed an official missing person report two days after his disappearance, but days of searching yielded no trace.
The case made headlines in Turkey when the family appeared on a television program 52 days after the incident to seek help. The widely publicized case became one of the most notable examples of a "corpse-less murder."
TWO ACQUITTED
During the investigation, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit in 2013 against Sultan K. and Özcan E., citing blood stains detected at the home, phone records, and contradictory statements. The case was heard in the Ankara 10th Heavy Penal Court, where the two defendants were tried on charges of aggravated life imprisonment. However, no concrete evidence, such as Bünyamin Koçak's body or proof of death, was found during the trial. The court ruled for acquittal based on the principle of "in dubio pro reo" (benefit of the doubt).
The case was later referred to the Supreme Court of Appeals' 1st Criminal Chamber. Although the decision was overturned once, the local court's renewed acquittal verdict was finalized and upheld.
BONES FOUND DURING ROAD CONSTRUCTION DREW ATTENTION
Bone fragments uncovered today during a road construction project in Polatlı have brought the Bünyamin Koçak case back to mind. Tests will determine who the bones belong to.
As this development reignites long-unanswered questions, curiosity grows over whether the Koçak case will be reopened. The unsolved Bünyamin Koçak case, lingering for 15 years, has resurfaced with new findings in Polatlı.