17.12.2025 21:41
The trial of four defendants who are in custody regarding the armed murder of former Ferizli Mayor Ahmet Soğuk in Sakarya continued. One of the defendants, who claimed to have agreed on a payment of 175,000 lira for the execution, stated that he saw a photo of Soğuk on the day of the incident and claimed that he did not intend to kill him, saying, "The victim reached for his waist, so I fired at the lower part of the car. The victim was trying to pull the grip of the gun, and I fired again."
In Sakarya, the trial regarding the death of former Ferizli Mayor Ahmet Soğuk, who was shot and killed, continued. During the hearing at the Sakarya 3rd High Criminal Court, detained defendants M.F.Ö, M.G., and O.E, complainants H.S, U.S, T.A., and B.S., as well as the attorneys for both parties were present. Defendant N.E. participated in the hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) from the prison where he is detained.
HE BOUGHT THE GUN 3 DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT
Defendant M.F.Ö. stated that he did not know the victim or defendants N.E. and O.E., but he knew defendant M.G. from Düzce.
M.F.Ö. reported that M.G. brought the gun in a bag three days before the incident, saying, "M.G. said, 'Don't touch it, there are fingerprints, I will blame someone else for the incident.' The day before the incident, we went to Ferizli near the victim's house. He said, 'Tomorrow we will follow him, we will shoot his tire or him.'"
"THE VICTIM REACHED FOR HIS WAIST, I FIRED"
On the day of the incident, M.F.Ö. recounted that he picked up defendant M.G. from in front of his house and they set off: "He was constantly on the phone. As we approached the scene, we drank alcohol and waited. He said, 'Check if the guy (the victim) is at home.' I zoomed in with my phone's camera and saw his car was there. I said, 'We've waited long enough, let's go.' He got out of the car to relieve himself, and at that moment, I was dozing off in the vehicle. He said, 'Dadaş, he's coming.' The car stopped in front of us, the windows were open. The victim reached for his waist, and I fired at the lower part of the car. The victim was trying to pull the gun's grip, and I fired again."
"I AGREED FOR 175 THOUSAND LIRA"
M.F.Ö. stated that they encountered a police checkpoint while fleeing but did not stop, then returned to Düzce and returned the vehicle to its owner, claiming he had no knowledge of the incident. He learned that the victim was a former mayor from the news and mentioned that he went to Istanbul with M.G., saying, "We stopped at a kiosk in Kartal, I didn't get out of the car. M.G. returned with a bag containing drugs and said, 'It's a gift from Ali brother, he will give the money on Monday.' We returned to Düzce. Then I was caught." He claimed he agreed for 175 thousand lira but only received 15 thousand lira, stating that he saw Soğuk's photo on the day of the incident and that the first person to reach for his waist was the victim, asserting that he never intended to kill him. The defendant's lawyer also requested a forensic examination of the bullets.
"I WILL HAVE SOMEONE SHOT, I CAN'T REACH HIM"
Defendant M.G. claimed he did not know the victim, stating that he met defendant N.E. 2-3 years ago and had no connection to the incident.
M.G. indicated that he went to N.E.'s workplace on July 25, saying, "N.E. said, 'I will have someone shot for M.F.Ö, I can't reach him.' M.F.Ö. came to my workplace during the night shift. N.E. threatened me with my sister. I conveyed to M.F.Ö. that N.E. couldn't reach him." He stated that he went to the industrial area at N.E.'s request on July 26, noting that defendant O.E. was also there, saying, "We went to Ferizli with N.E. N.E. said, 'Show the crime scene to M.F.Ö.' I later dropped N.E. off at his house in Sapanca." He recounted that they went to Ferizli after receiving a call from M.F.Ö. that same afternoon and that he showed the location, adding, "Then we went to Sapanca. M.F.Ö. got out of the car and talked to someone for 15 minutes. The place we were at belonged to the defendant brothers. Later, we went shopping in Kocaeli, and M.F.Ö. paid. He dropped me off at my workplace at night."
"WHEN I SAW THE POLICE, HE THREATENED ME WITH A GUN"
M.G. claimed that on the morning of the incident, he got into the car out of fear after M.F.Ö. called his sister and that they went to Ferizli, continuing: "We bought alcohol and snacks. He drank, and we went to the cornfield. He took my phone and called N.E. I was sitting in the right front seat. He started the car, and I went to the restroom. Then gunshots rang out. He pointed the gun at me while I was driving. When I saw the police, he threatened me with the gun. He threw the gun away before we reached the North Marmara Highway. He called N.E. from my phone and said he had finished the job."
M.G. stated that he was caught in Pendik, Istanbul, and noted that he did not accept his statements to the law enforcement.
M.G. claimed he did not commit or have anyone commit the act, stating that he felt no remorse for this reason. M.G.'s lawyer also stated that they did not accept the statements of defendant M.F.Ö. and requested the release of his client.
Defendant N.E. stated that his statements to the law enforcement and the prosecutor's office were valid, saying, "I was in Balıkesir Bandırma on the day of the incident. I visited my nephew who was serving there. I stayed for one day at a five-star hotel in Erdek, and there are records." He claimed that someone was directing defendant M.G. and that he was wrongfully imprisoned, asserting that he accepted the phone calls but had no connection to the incident.
Defendant O.E. pointed out inconsistencies in M.G.'s statements, saying, "We met face to face once. My brother called and asked, 'Do you have 5 thousand lira on you?' I said, 'Yes,' and gave it to M.G. I got it back two days later. I had no knowledge of the incident regarding my brother and the girl; I learned about it here." He claimed he had been wrongfully imprisoned for months and asserted that he had no connection to the incident. The lawyers of defendants N.E. and O.E. also requested the release of their clients.
THE DETENTION STATUS WILL CONTINUE
Complainant H.S. stated that defendant O.E. followed his father for 14 days before the incident and that the defendants had a united front.
Complainants U.S., T.A., and B.S. also stated that the defendants had no connection to their fathers, that the instigators of the incident were others, and that they wanted those names to testify in court. The prosecutor, whose opinion was sought, also requested the continuation of the defendants' detention. The court panel decided to evaluate the requests and to continue the detention of the defendants, adjourning the hearing.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Ahmet Soğuk, who served as the mayor of Ferizli from 2009 to 2019, was shot and killed on July 27, 2024, after leaving his home in the Yeni Mahalle neighborhood while driving.
In the investigation related to the incident, suspects M.F.Ö, M.G., and N.E. were arrested, while N.E.'s brother O.E., who was released under judicial control, was re-arrested and detained.
The indictment prepared by the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office demands aggravated life imprisonment for defendants M.F.Ö, M.G., N.E., and his brother O.E. for "premeditated murder in complicity."