21.01.2026 12:20
New details have emerged regarding the family tragedy in Adana, where Sergen Altunbaş, after sending a message to his wife with whom he lived despite their divorce, killed their two children and then committed suicide.
New details have emerged regarding the family tragedy in which Sergen Altunbaş (34) killed his children Ada (8) and Mert Altunbaş (6) before committing suicide in the luxury villa he lived in Adana. It was revealed that the Altunbaş family was in Mersin, returned to Adana on the morning of the incident, and that Sergen Altunbaş was with the mother of Gizem Deniz, with whom he lived despite their divorce. It was understood that Sergen Altunbaş took the children back to the villa and later sent a message to Deniz saying, "My children and I will be dead when you get home."
The incident occurred on the evening of January 15 in a luxury villa with a pool located in the Boynuyoğun neighborhood of the Sarıçam district. Sergen Altunbaş, who provided visa consultancy to the United States (USA) and was known for the videos he shared on social media, set his car in the garden on fire and then shot his children Ada and Mert with a gun. Altunbaş then put the gun to his head and fired. Neighbors who heard the gunshots alerted the police and medical teams to the scene. The teams that entered the house found the father and his two children in a pool of blood. It was determined that all three had died under the control of health officials. While siblings Ada and Mert were buried in the Karayusuflu Cemetery in the Seyhan district, Sergen Altunbaş's body was buried in the Hadırlı Cemetery.
It was stated that Sergen Altunbaş carried out the act while Gizem Deniz, with whom he had been divorced for 5 years but still lived together, was not at home.
"SISTER, MY CHILDREN ARE THERE, SAVE MY CHILDREN" While the investigation into the incident continues, Zehra Özgül, who stated that she noticed the Altunbaş family's car was on fire while sitting on her balcony, said she panicked and called Gizem Deniz, saying, "When I noticed the flames, I tried to understand what was happening, then there were explosion sounds coming from the car, and shortly after, gunshots were heard. I immediately called Gizem, and as soon as she answered the phone, she screamed, 'Sister, my children are there, save my children,' and hung up. She was on her way and coming home. When we got to the house, we learned that both the car was on fire and that Sergen had killed his children and committed suicide. At that time, Gizem and her mother also arrived. We did not let them into the house. When I asked Gizem's mother what had happened, she said that Sergen and Gizem had been in Mersin as a family and that they had come to Adana in the morning. She said that in the morning, Sergen had dropped Gizem off at her mother's and said, 'I will do some shopping with the kids, buy a few items, toys, and we will sit here and talk in the evening.' They were waiting for Sergen to come in the evening. Sergen had come home with the children and then sent a message to Gizem saying, 'My children and I will be dead when you get home,' and that was why they set out to come home," she said.
"THEY HAD A HAPPY FAMILY" Özgül, who previously stated that the family had occasional arguments, said, "We have been living here for about 2 years. We built our houses at the same time. During this process, we witnessed some of their arguments, but we also witnessed many beautiful moments. Since the new house was built, invitations were given to the neighbors, and we attended their children's birthday parties. They seemed to be a beautiful family. At this point, to be honest, it was a shocking situation for us. They had a happy family, and I still can't believe it," she said.
"A TERRIFYING INCIDENT" Another neighbor of the family, Ülkü Bilgili, said, "When we saw the police and ambulance, we also went to the scene. We only thought the car was on fire. There were explosion sounds coming from the car, and pieces were flying in the air. We waited for the fire department to take the family out. Death never crossed our minds. After the fire was extinguished, they said that he had killed the children and himself. When the mother arrived, she had a nervous breakdown. She wanted to go inside, but the police did not let her in, saying that it was not a situation to be seen. Before she arrived, her husband had sent a message. He wrote, 'When you arrive, you will find the children and me dead.' It is a terrifying incident. It doesn't leave our minds day and night," she said.