23.10.2026 15:42
New footage has emerged in the trial concerning the shooting deaths of Mehmet Kaya, his wife Berna, and their daughter Samyeli Kaya at their home in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin. The family's lawyer stated that in the footage from before the incident, in which the defendants and the deceased family members are seen together, gold is mentioned. The court decided that the footage should be examined by an expert and adjourned the hearing to February 5, 2027.
The second hearing of the case concerning the shooting deaths of Mehmet Kaya, his wife Berna, and their daughter Samyeli Kaya at their home in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin was held.
The incident occurred on November 25, 2025, in an apartment on the second floor of the Hacı Şeyhmus Can Apartment Building on Mardin Avenue in the Turgut Özal Neighborhood of Kızıltepe district. Neighbors who could not get news from the Kaya family opened the door together with the neighborhood headman and went inside. The lifeless bodies of Mehmet Kaya, his wife Berna, and their child Samyeli were found in the home, shot in the head. The funerals of Berna Kaya and her daughter Samyeli Kaya were held in the Tuşba district of Van, while Mehmet Kaya was buried in the rural İşgören Neighborhood of the Savur district.
NO SIGNS OF A STRUGGLE IN THE HOME, NO FORCED ENTRY AT THE DOOR
In the examination carried out by crime scene investigation teams, it was revealed that the firearm was not at the home. While no signs of a struggle were found in the home, it was also determined that there was no forced entry at the door. It was established that Samyeli’s body was on the couch, while her mother and father were in the middle of the room. A special team was formed by the Provincial Police Department, and within the scope of the investigation, all City Security Management System (KGYS) and security cameras in the district were taken under examination. In addition, statements were taken from the family’s neighbors and relatives.
NEIGHBORS CAUGHT WITH THE PISTOL USED IN THE INCIDENT
Within the scope of the investigation, the family’s neighbor M.C. was caught together with the pistol believed to have been used in the incident. M.C., along with V.E. (36) and B.K. (27), who are alleged to have helped him, and the weapons dealer B.A. were arrested.
After the investigation was completed, an indictment was prepared by the Kızıltepe Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the detained suspects. The indictment was accepted by the Mardin 5th Heavy Penal Court.
In the indictment, for the detained neighbor M.C., an aggravated prison sentence was sought three times for the crimes of ‘premeditated murder of a child or a person unable to defend themselves physically or mentally,’ ‘premeditated intentional killing of a woman,’ and ‘premeditated intentional murder,’ and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the crimes of ‘purchasing, transporting, or possessing ammunition for unlicensed firearms, and armed robbery in a dwelling at night.’ For the detained defendants V.E. (36) and B.K. (27), up to 5 years’ imprisonment each was sought for the crime of ‘destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence,’ while the file of B.A., who was stated to be a weapons dealer, was separated.
At the first hearing of the defendants held on June 29 at the Mardin 5th Heavy Penal Court, detained defendants B.K. and V.E. were released.
HEARING POSTPONED
The second hearing of the case was held today at the Mardin 5th Heavy Penal Court. M.C., B.K., and V.E. did not attend the hearing, which was held closed to the press. When the lawyers for the defendants and the victims were also unable to make their defense, the presiding judge, after the recess, decided to send the newly added footage in the case file to an expert for examination and ordered that the detained defendant’s detention continue, ruling that the hearing be postponed to February 5, 2027.
‘NEW FOOTAGE ADDED TO THE CASE FILE’
Seher Acay, a lawyer for the Kaya family, making a statement as she left the courthouse, said that a video featuring the perpetrators and the victims before the day of the incident had been added to the case file, and that gold was mentioned among the parties in the file. Emphasizing that the family needed justice, Acay said: “The second session of our case, known to the public as the ‘Kaya Family Massacre,’ has been held. First of all, we would like to state that the defendants did not attend this hearing. The most important development that stood out at the hearing is the video recording newly submitted to the case file. In this video, which belongs to a time before the day of the incident, the perpetrators and the victims are seen together, and even though in low voices, they are heard mentioning gold among themselves. The court has decided to send this recording to an expert in order to clarify and examine it. We consider it useful to emphasize once again a point we have repeatedly raised before: this case, which the entire public has closely followed through the press and media, contains extremely deep messages about social problems such as individual armament and the escalating tendency toward violence. Individual armament, which we always mention, is at the forefront of these. The tendency toward violence, which we always mention, is at the forefront of these. In summary, the Kaya family needs justice, and this justice will manifest through a fair judgment to be rendered by the court. The decision to be made here will not only establish justice but will also be an address to the conscience of a society caught in a spiral of violence and will set a precedent,” she said.