18.01.2026 18:00
Ziya Yıldırım, the former Deputy Mayor of Serik, was sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing Hasan Ali Tuncer, a former district council member, at a wedding in the Serik district of Antalya.
In the Serik district of Antalya, on August 19, 2024, an incident occurred between former Serik Municipal Council Member Hasan Ali Tuncer (40) and the then Deputy Mayor of Serik, Ziya Yıldırım, which ended in bloodshed at a wedding where their previous social media dispute escalated.
FORMER DEPUTY MAYOR KILLED WITH A GUN
After the argument, Yıldırım fired at Tuncer with the gun he had with him. Hasan Ali Tuncer was hit by 2 bullets and was injured. The injured Tuncer was taken to Serik State Hospital after the first intervention by the medical team. Despite all efforts, Tuncer could not be saved.
ARRESTED
After the incident, Ziya Yıldırım, who fled, surrendered to the police after a while. After his procedures, Ziya Yıldırım was sent to prison, arrested for the crime of 'intentional murder.'
The indictment prepared by the Serik Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was accepted by the Manavgat 1st Heavy Criminal Court, and in the indictment, it was requested that the suspect be punished for the crime of 'intentional murder.' During the decision hearing of the case, the defendant Ziya Yıldırım, his relatives, the relatives of the deceased Hasan Ali Tuncer, and the lawyers of both parties were present.
DECISION HEARING WAS HELD
In the hearing, the public prosecutor stated in his opinion on the merits, "The defendant Ziya and the deceased knew each other because Ziya was the teacher of the deceased in previous years, and both the defendant and the deceased had served as municipal council members from the same political party in the past. The defendant Ziya and the deceased Hasan Ali, as well as the deceased's father Fatih, were members of the WhatsApp group of the Higher Education Science Foundation. During the 2024 Eid al-Adha, a holiday message written by Fatih in the group was deleted by the defendant. In the ongoing process, the defendant wrote derogatory messages targeting Fatih and the deceased, and on the day of the incident, the deceased wanted to meet with the defendant to discuss this issue. Since their houses were close, he first went to the defendant's house, and when he could not find him there, he learned that the defendant was at the wedding and went to the garden wedding hall. When he approached the defendant, a dispute arose between them, and the defendant Ziya fired at the deceased with his licensed gun. It was understood that the defendant shot the deceased in the back as he tried to escape and then fled the scene," and requested that the defendant be sentenced to life imprisonment for 'intentional murder.'
"MY LIFE HAS NO MEANING LEFT"
Fatih Tuncer, the father of Tuncer, tearfully stated in the hearing that he had worked as a pharmacist in Serik for many years, saying, "My son has been murdered without any crime; the defendant shot my son multiple times. After the incident, I watched my son die during the doctors' intervention and then got into my own car and fled. This is not a pain I should endure after turning 70. After the incident, I transferred my pharmacy; my life has no meaning left," he said.
Fatih Tuncer pointed out that the defendant had previously described himself as an educator in his statements, saying, "I am seeing a teacher who kills his student for the first time. I hope this is the last time. I want the defendant to be punished in the harshest way."
"MY DAUGHTER THINKS PEOPLE ARE KILLERS"
Tuncer's wife, Yıldız Tuncer, also stated that their now 7-year-old daughter has gone through severe trauma after the incident, saying, "My daughter cannot be alone anywhere after her father's murder. She thinks that people outside are killers and that they will kill her too."
The defendant Ziya Yıldırım, in his defense, stated that he was at the wedding venue on the night of the incident, that Hasan Ali Tuncer came to his house asking for him, and then he came to the wedding venue, saying, "When the deceased arrived, he cursed at me and threatened me. He hit me, and I fell on my back. Then, in a panic, I fired a shot. I did not aim. I had no intention to kill; if I had known he would come to the wedding, I would not have gone. I did not want things to come to this point."
HE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
After the break, the court announced its decision, sentencing the defendant Ziya Yıldırım to life imprisonment.