21.07.2026 12:01
Following a jet ski accident off the coast of Bodrum, Muğla on July 15, which resulted in the deaths of 3 people, including 2 children, Veli Koltuk, a resident of Eskişehir, made striking allegations. Koltuk claimed to be the biological father of the two children reported dead in the news and alleged that his legal wife was attempting to illegally smuggle the children to Greece, urging authorities for help.
In the event that occurred off the coast of the Akyarlar area of Muğla's Bodrum district on July 15 at around 05:41, a jet ski carrying 4 people capsized due to adverse weather conditions. Following the accident, search and rescue operations were carried out by Coast Guard teams and nearby sailors, and Iraqi national N.A.A.A.D. was rescued alive; however, the bodies of the father and two daughters were reported to have been found off the coast of Greece's Kos Island.
THE MAN CLAIMING TO BE THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER SPEAKS After the incident, which was publicized as a "holiday accident," 30-year-old Veli Koltuk, residing in the Emek neighborhood of Odunpazarı district in Eskişehir, claimed to be the biological father of the deceased 7-year-old Melek Koltuk and 4-year-old Meral Koltuk. Koltuk stated that he has the official documents and population records. The grieving man, who said he has been living apart from his Iraqi national wife N.A.A.A.D. for 4 years and could not see his children, argued that the news reports claiming "the Iraqi family was on holiday" do not reflect the truth. Koltuk stated that he called the Iraqi woman and reacted harshly over the phone, saying, "Why is the deceased man written as the father of the children in the news? Why did you say that?" He demanded an account and expressed his wish to retrieve his children's bodies.
"THEY GO OUT AT NIGHT AND ESCAPE TO THE GREEK ISLAND" Explaining the truth behind the incident, Veli Koltuk said, "They go out at midnight and escape to the Greek island. I lost two of my children, I don't know if the other one has been found or not. I have been living apart from this woman for 4 years. It was around 2018-2019; I have been living apart for 4 years. She asked for a formal marriage, I didn't give it. She kept me away from my children. I called, she blocked me. Last time I checked, she was in Ankara; she was working at a nightclub and had a boyfriend. She makes her boyfriend call my children 'father,' and she calls the man 'husband.' But I am the real father of the children. I am filing a complaint against all of them; I even went to the courthouse today and filed a lawsuit."
"I WANT TO RETRIEVE THE BODIES FROM GREECE" Revealing his children's identities, Koltuk said, "I have two children. One is 7 years old, the other is 4 years old. One is Melek Koltuk, the other is Meral Koltuk. Meral's body is currently in Greece, I want to retrieve her body. The accident happened on July 15, and I cannot reach my children. I even went to Bodrum. My wife's statement is also a lie; she says 'I don't know how to speak Turkish,' but she speaks Turkish. How does this work? In the news, she speaks Turkish quite clearly."
"THE GENDARMERIE TOLD ME 'THEY WERE FLEEING TO GREECE'" Stressing that the event was not a holiday, Koltuk said, "They leave at midnight on July 15. Then they have an accident and around 05:30 they find my daughter on the Greek island. My wife says in the news 'We were on holiday,' but they were actually fleeing to Greece. The Gendarmerie also told me this in their statement; they said 'Brother, they were fleeing to Greece. We caught them, took their statement, and released them.' The statement 'We were on holiday' is a lie, her entire statement is a lie."
"IS IT POSSIBLE TO RIDE A JET SKI WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN?" Drawing attention to allegations of smuggling, Koltuk reacted, "I have two children, brother, that's what the man with her showed. There were 4 people in total, would you let two small children ride a jet ski? There was a man named Ahmet, her boyfriend, and he was a smuggler. My wife's older sister, my sister-in-law, told me this; she herself is a witness. I had no idea about any of this. I have been living apart for 4 years; she somehow found a boyfriend, that's it."
Speaking about their legal bond, Veli Koltuk said, "I tried very hard, but the woman keeps insisting on 'formal marriage.' She put me in an even worse situation. Because of her, I paid off a lot of debts and ended up like this. The last time I spoke to her was a year ago. I said, 'I cannot give you a formal marriage. How can you get a formal marriage? You kept me away from my children; you are in Ankara one moment, Bodrum the next, are you on holiday?' She wants citizenship from me, but I didn't give it. We have an unofficial marriage, we are officially married, everything is written in the family table. We are married, I have all the documents. I can show you if you want, I even have photos. I am their real father."
"AT LEAST I WANT TO RETRIEVE AND BURY MY CHILDREN'S BODIES" In tears, the grieving man Koltuk begged for help, "I haven't seen my children for 4 years. The woman keeps insisting on 'citizenship' so that there can be something official. I met her through a friend back in the day. Wouldn't I be sad? My children are gone! Okay, I couldn't be a father, but at least I want to retrieve and bury my children's bodies. The last time I saw them, they were 3 years old."
"I AM ASKING FOR HELP" Finally, stating that he has initiated legal proceedings, Koltuk concluded, "She lies in the news, she says 'I was on holiday.' What holiday? She says 'My ID fell in the water,' but the IDs are found in the hotel; how does that work? What business do you have in the sea at midnight on July 15? We can even go to the Bodrum Turgutreis Coast Guard Gendarmerie Command; I was there 2 days ago, I gave a statement and filed a complaint. After that, I went to the Eskişehir Courthouse and filed a lawsuit. I want to retrieve my children's bodies, I am asking for help for the sake of God."