27.06.2026 13:26
The investigation into the theft of jewelry from the Istanbul Büyükçekmece Courthouse's Property Office is ongoing. While 18 individuals who aided the robbery have been arrested, suspect Erdal Timurtaş and his wife, who fled to England with approximately 147 million lira and are wanted via a red notice, have not yet been captured.
In the investigation into the theft of 25 kilograms of gold and 50 kilograms of silver from the judicial evidence office, 18 people were arrested. The fugitive officer Erdal Timurtaş, who stole the valuables worth approximately 147 million lira, and his wife are still missing.
The incident occurred on December 1, 2025, at the Büyükçekmece Courthouse. According to the information obtained, it was reported to the Public Prosecutor that Erdal Timurtaş, the custodian officer assigned to the Evidence Office of the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, had not been coming to work for a long time. Subsequently, the Chief Public Prosecutor, together with the officials, had the evidence office room and the safes inside it opened. During the search, it was determined that approximately 50 kilograms of silver and approximately 25 kilograms of gold were missing. It was revealed that Kemal D. had been working as an officer at the courthouse since 2021, and that he had both the key to the judicial evidence safe and the evidence room, while Timurtaş started working in 2022. Kemal D. was arrested for the crime of 'embezzlement.'
GOLD WAS CONFISCATED IN A GOLD SMUGGLING OPERATION It was revealed that the gold stolen from the judicial evidence office had been confiscated during a gold smuggling operation targeting immigrants. In the count made at the evidence office, it was determined that a total of 25 kilograms of gold and 50 kilograms of silver were stolen, consisting of 9,906 grams of gold, 49 reşat gold coins, 438 necklaces, 66 grams of earrings, 5 kilograms of gold, 7 coat-of-arms gold coins, 167 full gold coins, 606 bracelets, 1 kilogram 477 grams of bracelets, 376 half gold coins, 1,328 quarter gold coins, 40 republic gold coins, 2,701 grams of jewelry, 487 atatürk gold coins, 6 gremse gold coins, and 50 kilograms of silver. The value of the stolen items was determined to be approximately 147 million lira.
IT WAS DISCOVERED DURING PROSECUTOR YAVUZ ENGIN'S SURPRISE INSPECTION Meanwhile, the responsibility for the evidence office where the incident occurred lies under the responsibility of public prosecutor Yavuz Engin, who is conducting the Newborn Investigation. The robbery was noticed during a surprise inspection by Prosecutor Engin at the Judicial Evidence Office. Investigations revealed that the suspects took advantage of the heavy routine transfer operation conducted at the Judicial Evidence Office between November 3-18, 2025, thus removing the gold and silver from the courthouse with a shopping cart without attracting attention. The robbers acted by calculating that the next routine inspection at the Evidence Office would be on January 15, and that the security camera records would be deleted due to time limitations by that date.
TIMURTAŞ'S RELATIVES WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY On December 10, 2025, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took into custody a total of 13 people, including the mother, father, and brother of Esma Timurtaş, the wife of fugitive suspect Erdal Timurtaş; a suspect detected on camera in the vehicle where the gold was loaded; and another suspect who came to the scene to take some of the stolen gold. The 13 suspects, including the fugitive Erdal Timurtaş's mother-in-law, brother-in-law, father-in-law, and those who mediated the purchase and sale of the stolen gold, were brought to the Büyükçekmece Courthouse after their procedures at the police station. Five of the suspects were arrested, while three were released under the measure of 'house arrest,' and five individuals were released under the measure of 'ban on leaving the country.'
TWO INDIVIDUALS IN THE VEHICLE DURING THE ROBBERY WERE ARRESTED In the investigation, it was revealed that Erdal Timurtaş had a Ağrı-based tribal-linked gang behind him, and 16 suspects, who were determined to have taken the stolen gold and silver to the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı in a long vehicle convoy, were captured. While the 16 suspects taken into custody were arrested, two key suspects, Muhammed Seferoğulları and his cousin Muhammed Efe, who were waiting in the vehicle during the robbery and were being sought as fugitives, were caught by the Batum police units while entering Georgia. Muhammed Efe and Muhammed Seferoğulları surrendered to Turkish police at around 18:00 on June 12, passing through the Sarp Border Gate. The two key figures of the robbery were brought to Istanbul from Artvin under police escort. The two individuals, who were sent to the Büyükçekmece Courthouse on June 16, were arrested and sent to prison.
RED NOTICE REQUEST FOR TIMURTAŞ AND HIS WIFE The Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested the issuance of a 'red notice' for the capture of the suspect Erdal Timurtaş, who fled to England, and his wife Esma Timurtaş. While fugitive Timurtaş and his wife have not been reached, the investigation conducted by the chief prosecutor's office continues.