05.09.2026 01:20
In the investigation into the death of Rojin Kabaiş, family lawyers announced that their requests, such as examining the records of 7,353 vehicles and taking DNA samples from new individuals, have been accepted. Lawyer Karabulut stated in his testimony that a person who claimed not to have been at the scene was determined by expert report to have been in the area at the time of the incident.
Rojin Kabaiş, a first-year student in the Child Development Department of the Faculty of Education at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ), disappeared on September 27, 2024, after leaving her dormitory. Her lifeless body was found 18 days after her disappearance, on October 15, on the shore of Mollakasım Neighborhood by Lake Van. As part of the investigation, the report of the Forensic Medicine Institute's Biological Specialization Department, dated October 10, 2025, was added to the file. The report stated that DNA belonging to two different men was found on Kabaiş's chest and inner vaginal area. A comprehensive DNA screening was also initiated for individuals who were assessed to have potentially come into contact with the body during its transfer from the scene to the Morgue Specialization Department of the Forensic Medicine Institute Van Group Presidency. In this context, DNA samples were taken from many people, including university and dormitory security guards. Following the application of the Kabaiş family's lawyer, Abdurrahman Karabulut, DNA samples were also taken from YYÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hamdullah Şevli and his nephew Enes Şevli.
FAMILY'S LAWYER: AN ATTEMPT IS BEING MADE TO CREATE A PERCEPTION OF SUICIDE The Kabaiş family's lawyers, Abdurrahman Karabulut and Şahin Cangüleç, along with Rojin's father Nizamettin Kabaiş, went to the Van Courthouse and met with the prosecutor. After the meeting, Karabulut, who held a press conference, stated that they had taken over the case approximately 2 months ago and that a significant portion of this time coincided with the judicial recess. Arguing that sufficient investigation had not been conducted on the case, Karabulut said, "Unfortunately, sufficient investigation has not been conducted on the case. We have unfortunately witnessed within the scope of the case how an unwilling investigation is carried out, how superficial research is done, how the case is attempted to be investigated within this framework by creating a perception of suicide, or how effectively research is conducted by pointing at the family, asking, 'Could there be those involved in this alleged accusation within the family?'"
"WE FILED APPLICATIONS ON 30 MATTERS" Stating that they had filed applications on approximately 30 matters since July 10, when they took over the case, Karabulut said that all their applications, except for 2-3 requests, were accepted. Karabulut said, "We can say for now that effective investigation is being conducted in our meetings with our prosecutor and regarding the requests we have applied for. In this context, we have filed applications on approximately 30 matters since July 10. All our applications, except for 2-3, were accepted. Some have been concluded, and investigations regarding others are ongoing."
"OUR WORK IS CONTINUING" Karabulut also made evaluations regarding Rojin Kabaiş's last image captured on camera at 19:04 in Bardakçı village on the day she disappeared, saying, "Rojin's last silhouette is visible in Bardakçı Village as of 19:04 on September 27. When we look at the minutes leading up to that moment, Rojin is in constant communication via a phone. Looking at the camera footage, she is walking while talking on the phone. Her silhouette is detected within the borders of Bardakçı village in the camera records where her last silhouette is identified at 19:04. After that, no news is received from her. Could Rojin have been taken to the scene while on a phone call—this call could be via a social media application or WhatsApp? It is already clear from the case file that this is not normal. Was she dragged to the scene? Did it occur spontaneously after she went there to collect pebbles? We have research on this, and our work is continuing," he said.
"THERE IS NO DATA IN THE FILE THAT SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE" Karabulut argued that there is no concrete data in the case file regarding Kabaiş committing suicide, but that such a perception is being attempted to be created. Referring to the Forensic Medicine Institute reports, Karabulut reminded that DNA belonging to two different men was found on Kabaiş's body, saying, "Yes, Forensic Medicine has prepared a report, there is a second report, and there is a report to the Specialization Board. After 9 months, Forensic Medicine says, 'DNA of 2 men was found on Rojin's body.' A year later, that is, on October 12, 2025, it explains where on Rojin's body these 2 male DNAs were. Didn't you know this before? You knew, why are you explaining it a year later? Because they want to maintain that perception," he said.
"7 THOUSAND 353 VEHICLES WERE EXAMINED" Stating that research was always conducted on land vehicles, and they also requested research on sea vehicles, Karabulut said that within the scope of the investigation, 7,353 vehicles were examined throughout Van using the License Plate Recognition System (PTS) and camera records. However, Karabulut argued that in the initial examinations, they only identified the vehicles. Stating that it was determined that 214 vehicles entered and exited Bardakçı village on the day of the incident, Karabulut said they requested that, especially for the day of the incident and until October 15, the drivers of these vehicles be identified both in terms of time slots, their mobile phones be examined, their HTS and cell tower records be obtained, and DNA samples be taken, and this request was accepted.
Karabulut stated that while examining the file, they detected a camera recording in a report dated October 10, 2024, 5 days before Rojin's body was found. According to this, Karabulut stated that a white vehicle appeared in the camera records at around 19:45 in Bardakçı village, and it was determined that the vehicle went down to the shore and went to the area where Rojin was. Karabulut noted that 11 other different vehicles were detected in Bardakçı village during the same time period, saying, "Since you have identified this vehicle, especially that one vehicle, I want to draw your attention to the other 11 vehicles, within the same time and location period. I am talking about the day Rojin disappeared, around 19:45. Within the location period, it goes down to the shore, to the area where Rojin is. You will identify these vehicles, you will identify the drivers. You will obtain the HTS, cell tower records of these people, and take their DNA. This method of investigation is scandalous." Karabulut stated that their requests for identifying the drivers of these 11 vehicles, obtaining DNA samples, and examining HTS and cell tower records were accepted by the prosecutor's office.
"THE SUSPECT'S PRESENCE AT THE SCENE WAS CONFIRMED BY REPORT" Referring to the most critical developments in the investigation file, Karabulut said that the lie of a person who claimed in his statement that he was not at the scene was refuted by an expert report. Stating that the report included, with latitude-longitude detection, that the person was in the same time and location period during the hours Rojin disappeared, Karabulut provided the following information: "Due to the confidentiality of the investigation, our request regarding whether this person, whose name we cannot disclose at this stage, was at that location was accepted.Additionally, we filed a criminal complaint against the individual who was in contact with Rojin via social media 15 minutes before she disappeared, received a signal from the same base station, and immediately deactivated his Instagram account, and we requested his detention. It has been reported that there was significant activity in camera and base station records as of that night.
REQUEST FOR RE-EXAMINATION ON THE BARDAKCI-MOLLAKASIM LINE Stating that they requested the re-investigation of the route between Bardakci village, where Rojin disappeared, and Mollakasim, where her lifeless body was found, Karabulut said they also requested a crime scene investigation on Carpanak Island and the villages along this route. Noting that Rojin's missing yellow slipper has still not been found, Karabulut added that they requested another crime scene investigation on the materials found in the region.
UAV AND SKORSKY RECORDS REQUESTED Stating that searches were conducted with UAVs and Skorsky helicopters around Lake Van on September 29, 2 days after Rojin's disappearance, Karabulut said, "As far as we know, everything is recorded during the searches conducted with Skorsky helicopters and UAVs. We requested that a letter be sent to the Turkish Armed Forces to obtain the records of the UAVs and Skorsky helicopters that participated in these searches, if any. Our request regarding this was accepted. The response to the letter has not yet arrived. We are following up on this."
AWAITING RESPONSE FROM META Stating that a letter was sent to Meta company to investigate the WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook communications during the period Rojin Kabais disappeared, Karabulut said, "We wrote a letter to Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. We stated that this was a murder and requested the identification of related communications. The response to the letter came from Meta. Meta requested a more detailed letter. The response from the company was about what exactly we wanted, that is, how we could be useful to the case. They requested that a more detailed letter be written again. The prosecutor's office sent another, more detailed letter to Meta, and we are awaiting the response."
Karabulut stated that on July 21, they made a request to examine the files of individuals previously involved in sexual crimes in the region. Karabulut said they requested the identification of individuals previously linked to sexual crimes around Bardakci and Mollakasim and the investigation of whether these individuals were in the region on the date of the incident through HTS and base station records, adding that the prosecutor's office accepted the request and the investigation is ongoing.
"ROCURONIUM" CLAIM Explaining that the forensic medicine report found a level of 5 nanograms of 'rocuronium' in Rojin Kabais's stomach, and that this substance is one that can only be found in operating rooms and cannot be sold in pharmacies, Karabulut said, "This is a muscle relaxant. Since it is administered intravenously, it is not possible for this substance to be found in the stomach. The forensic medicine report found a trace amount of rocuronium in Rojin's stomach, which we can call 5 nanograms. We need to consider the possibility that this substance was administered orally. They likely put this drug in water or a drink. It was made possible for Rojin to drink it. The fact that it is in the stomach strengthens the possibility that it was administered orally. In light of this possibility, we requested the forensic medicine institution to investigate and clarify this issue," he said.
Karabulut stated that their request to have the investigation transferred from the Van Homicide Bureau to Ankara JASAT was rejected by the prosecutor's office.
"WE BELIEVE THERE IS A HAND COMPLICATING THE CASE" Arguing that the case is one that could be easily resolved but that the investigation is being complicated, Karabulut said, "The case is actually easy, but we are aware that a hand is complicating it. This complication has turned it into a situation like looking for a needle in a haystack. But if necessary, that haystack will be burned, water will be poured on it, and that needle will be found. I would like to express that we are determined in this struggle, no matter what it costs, no matter who it touches."
"DNA ANALYSIS OF 415 PEOPLE WAS CONDUCTED" Family lawyer Sahin Cangulec, on the other hand, said the investigation regarding marine vehicles is ongoing. Stating that DNA analysis has been conducted on 415 people so far, Cangulec said no data has been found at this stage in these examinations. Cangulec reported that there is a list of 50 people identified by the prosecutor's office, these individuals' identities have been determined, and DNA analysis will be conducted. Adding that they requested a study to determine the duration Rojin remained in the water, Cangulec noted that this request was also accepted by the prosecutor's office.