03.06.2026 19:20
New details have emerged regarding the armed attack near the hotel where Dilan and Engin Polat were staying in the Çeşme district of İzmir, which resulted in the death of Can Polat, the couple's close bodyguard and cousin. The hotel operators stated that the attack was not targeting the hotel, and that the suspect had been lying in ambush on the street since 09:00 in the morning.
A 23-year-old attacker who carried out an armed assault at the hotel where Dilan Polat and Engin Polat were vacationing in Çeşme, İzmir, and killed Can Polat, Engin Polat's cousin who served as the couple's bodyguard, was apprehended along with his weapon and taken into custody.
THE POLAT COUPLE'S BODYGUARD WAS TARGETED BY BULLETS
The incident occurred around 2:00 PM yesterday in the touristic Alaçatı neighborhood of Çeşme district. According to information obtained, an armed attack was carried out in front of the hotel where Dilan and Engin Polat were staying for their holiday. Can Polat (37), Engin Polat's cousin who also served as the couple's bodyguard, was severely wounded as bullets targeted him in the attack. After initial intervention by health teams dispatched to the address upon notification, the father of four was taken to the hospital but could not be saved despite all efforts and succumbed to his injuries.
STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNORSHIP: APPREHENDED WITH THE MURDER WEAPON
The 23-year-old murder suspect S.A., who fled after the incident, was apprehended along with the weapon used in the crime as a result of meticulous work by security forces and taken into custody.
In a statement from the İzmir Governorship regarding the incident, which occurred around 1:45 PM today, it was noted that upon the report of gunfire, security forces quickly arrived at the scene. "Initial investigations determined that the individual named Can Polat was shot while going outside to prepare his vehicle to leave the accommodation facility. The injured person was taken to the hospital by 112 Emergency Health teams dispatched to the scene but died there despite all interventions. The suspect, S.A., born in 2003, was quickly apprehended along with the weapon believed to have been used in the crime by our İzmir Provincial Police Department teams. The investigation into the incident is being conducted thoroughly and from multiple angles," the statement said.
"HE HAD BEEN WAITING ON THE STREET SINCE MORNING, FROM 9:00 AM"
Business owner Büşra Yılmazel, who was at the hotel at the time of the attack, said, "They were leaving today anyway. We were sitting in the garden, everything was fine, and we were just saying goodbye. At that moment, the bodyguards had gone to get the car. When they went out to get the car at the door, we heard about three gunshots from inside. My husband immediately ran, everyone was in shock trying to understand what happened. There was no connection to the hotel; there was no armed attack on the hotel. This is Alaçatı, cars and people are constantly passing through the streets; the incident happened on the street. The suspect had been waiting there since morning, from 9:00 AM. He waited for them to come out. After being shot, Mr. Can Polat moved toward this side, and when my husband heard the gunshots and went outside, they quickly took him inside to the room for help."
"THE GUN JAMMED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT"
Hotel owner Serhat Yılmazel also shared details of the attack, saying, "At 9:00 AM, someone came and sat there waiting for quite a while. The incident apparently happened in the afternoon. Mr. Can Polat had come to load the suitcases and belongings into the car. As we watched from the cameras, while Mr. Can Polat was standing here, the person approached and tried to fire, but the gun seemed to jam."
"HE DIRECTLY TARGETED MR. CAN AND OPENED FIRE"
While Mr. Can Polat was looking at him, the person came again, this time firing 2-3 shots. We went outside immediately upon hearing the sound, but the attacker had already fled. Mr. Can Polat came straight inside, holding himself and saying 'I've been shot.' We quickly pulled him in, started applying pressure, and called an ambulance. It was probably intended as a warning; he directly targeted Mr. Can and opened fire. It wasn't an attack on the hotel; if it had been, God forbid, something much worse could have happened. To prevent him from coming back and doing the same thing, we brought everyone inside. As the shopkeepers also saw, the person had been sitting there since 9:00 AM, waiting for them to come out."
A comprehensive investigation into the incident initiated by security units is continuing from multiple angles.