28.11.2025 14:26
Ilyas Sarıkaya, who killed his friend in Bursa and wounded his girlfriend with 8 bullets while sexually assaulting her for 21 days, is facing a demand for two life sentences (one of which is aggravated) and up to 37 years in prison.
In June 2023, an incident occurred in the Küplüpınar neighborhood of the Osmangazi district in Bursa; İlyas Sarıkaya (50) called his friend Recep Özaslan (47) to the house where he lived with his Alzheimer’s patient mother A.S. and his girlfriend Fatma O. (45).
HE BRUTALLY MURDERED HIS FRIEND
According to the allegations; under the influence of drugs, Sarıkaya shot Özaslan, whom he suspected of having a relationship with his girlfriend, with a gun and then fired two more shots to ensure he "would not suffer." Özaslan died at the scene from the bullets that hit his waist and chest.
HE INJURED HIS GIRLFRIEND AND COMMITTED SEXUAL ASSAULT FOR 21 DAYS
İlyas Sarıkaya also shot and injured his girlfriend Fatma O. with 8 bullets. After wrapping his friend Özaslan's body in a sheet and then in stretch film, Sarıkaya sexually assaulted his injured girlfriend for 21 days using bandages and medications he obtained from a pharmacy.
HE FORCED THE POLICE TO SAY "THERE IS NO PROBLEM" AT GUNPOINT
The smell that arose from the decomposition of Recep Özaslan's body disturbed the neighbors, leading to a report that dispatched police teams to the address. Sarıkaya threatened the police who came to the house with a gun and made his girlfriend say there was no problem before sending them back. The incident came to light when Fatma O. sent a message to her mother asking for help from Sarıkaya's phone, which he had forgotten on the coffee table, on July 12.
SHE SENT A MESSAGE TO HER MOTHER
In the message Fatma O. wrote to her mother, she said, "There is a corpse in the room. The phone is being tapped. He shot me 8 times. I am injured. If he sees the police, he will kill me first. Please trick him with money and get him out of the house. Then come and get me." After this message, Fatma O.'s mother went to the police and filed a complaint. The police contacted Sarıkaya through Fatma O.'s mother.
TEAMS SAW THE INJURED WOMAN AND THE DECAYING BODY
Fatma O.'s mother called Sarıkaya, asking him to come to her house to bring money for her daughter. The teams captured Sarıkaya, who came to collect the money, despite him pointing a gun at them. The teams that went to the house encountered Fatma O., who was severely injured, and the decaying body.
"NOTHING HAPPENED WITHOUT HER CONSENT"
After the procedures at the police station, İlyas Sarıkaya was arrested, and his trial continued at the Bursa 4th High Criminal Court. The hearing was attended by Sarıkaya and Fatma O.'s lawyers Elif Tuba Karakoç, Gizem Berceste Olgun, and lawyer Gizem Yılmaz on behalf of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. The presiding judge granted İlyas Sarıkaya the floor, who requested additional time for his defense in the previous hearing.
Sarıkaya, who claimed that he had a 3-month relationship with the complainant, defended himself by saying, "There was a sexual relationship with her consent; nothing happened without her consent. During the time she was injured, we had sexual intercourse at her request and in the way she wanted. Fatma O. and I were in the process of getting married. In fact, her relatives had made similar statements during the investigation phase."
"IT IS AGAINST THE ORDINARY FLOW OF LIFE"
After Sarıkaya, the lawyer of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Gizem Yılmaz, stated, "The defendant's defense is against the ordinary flow of life. How appropriate is it for an injured person to want sexual intercourse? We request that the defendant be tried at the upper limit."
REQUEST FOR 1 LIFE SENTENCE AND 37 YEARS IN PRISON
After the defenses, the prosecutor presented his opinion on the merits, requesting İlyas Sarıkaya to be sentenced to 1 aggravated life sentence, 1 life sentence, and up to 37 years in prison for the crimes of 'intentional murder', 'attempted murder with cruelty or torture', 'sexual assault against a person unable to defend themselves physically or mentally', 'serial sexual assault', 'deprivation of liberty', and 'possession of an unlicensed firearm.'
Sarıkaya's lawyer, Sadaret Yücehan Balkır, who objected to the opinion, requested additional time for the defense; the court board decided to continue Sarıkaya's detention and postponed the hearing.