29.05.2025 12:52
In Taksim, a person nicknamed "Japon" called Recep İnce to the hotel, claiming that he could lift İnce's bank debt of 772,000 lira for a fee of 100,000 lira. Upon arriving at the address, İnce was taken hostage. His hands and feet were bound, his mouth was taped shut, and his mobile phone was confiscated. İnce was beaten with a stick for two days. He managed to escape from the nightmare hotel with a message he sent to his wife, lying that he would "send an IBAN."
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On February 20, Thursday, around 04:00, terror struck in the Taksim Şehit Muhtar neighborhood of the Beyoğlu district in Istanbul. According to the information obtained, Recep İnce (33), a married father of two living in Antalya, went bankrupt some time ago and accrued a debt of 772 thousand lira to the bank.
'JAPANESE' WAS FOOLED BY THE PROMISE OF 'WE WILL CANCEL YOUR DEBT'
Upon learning of this situation, a person nicknamed "Japanese" contacted İnce via a messaging application on February 16, claiming he could settle his debt. İnce, who agreed to pay the 100 thousand lira offered to him in return, went to the meeting address in Beyoğlu three days later. A person who greeted him there locked the door behind him after letting İnce inside.
HE WAS HELD FOR 2 DAYS AND BEATEN WITH A STICK
After a while, four people entered and beat İnce with a stick. One of the other suspects pressed a knife against İnce's throat and robbed him of his mobile phone. After taking the phone, the suspects continued to threaten İnce, demanding that he send 200 thousand lira. Forced to give his phone and bank passwords to the suspects, İnce had his hands and feet tied and his mouth taped. Since there was no money in İnce's account, the suspects could not get what they wanted.
A MESSAGE HE SENT TO HIS WIFE SAVED HIS LIFE
During the two days he was held, İnce was offered to be released in exchange for 10 thousand lira. After İnce accepted this, his hands were untied and his mobile phone was returned to him. Reaching his wife via a messaging application, İnce told the suspects, "I will send the account number," and sent a message to his wife saying, "They kidnapped me, send the police to this address," while sending his location and deleting the messages from his phone. Following this, İnce's wife, Aslıhan İ. (31), called the police, reporting that her husband was being held hostage and that he would be killed if the money was not brought.
A RAID WAS CARRIED OUT ON THE HOTEL
Acting on the tip-off, the Beyoğlu Public Order Bureau teams raided the hotel where İnce was being held. İnce, whose hands and feet were tied, was rescued by the police. Four suspects who held İnce in the hotel were caught. Şehmus G. (60), Veysel T. (18), Onur O. (24), and E.T. (17) were taken to the police station. During the search of the hotel, Recep İnce's mobile phone was seized.
4 SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED
After their statements were taken at the police station, the four suspects were referred to the courthouse for legal action. The four suspects brought before the court were arrested and sent to prison for the crimes of "Robbery (theft)," "Intentional injury," and "Deprivation of liberty." On the other hand, it was revealed that Recep İnce had 10 criminal records with the police, while the suspects had 14.
'JAPANESE' THREATENED HIM TO 'WITHDRAW YOUR COMPLAINT'
After the incident, the person nicknamed "Japanese" called İnce via a messaging application, cursing and insulting him for minutes. A phone call in which İnce was threatened with the murder of his family if he did not withdraw his complaint was recorded with a mobile phone camera. Meanwhile, the hotel where the incident took place was sealed by the municipal police.
"I HAD A FACTORY BEFORE, I BANKRUPTED"
Describing the horror he experienced, Recep İnce stated: "I was working as a motorcycle courier in Antalya. Someone named 'Japanese' reached out to me via a messaging application, saying, 'Come to Istanbul, we will settle your debt.' I had a factory before, I went bankrupt, and I had a debt of 772 thousand lira in execution. I have 1 million 300 thousand lira in one of my bank accounts and 92 thousand 500 lira in another. They said, 'Come to our hotel, we will help you pay this debt. We will also give you 200-300 thousand lira.' I said, 'Okay,' came, and entered the hotel.
"NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE SENT, THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED ME"
As soon as I entered, they locked the door. Four people attacked me at once, one with a stick, one with a knife, and one with a gun. The one with the stick was named Zaza, but his real name was Onur. I learned this later. They beat me and held me hostage for two days; I couldn't do anything. I couldn't reach anyone; I had no phone. Then they told me, 'Give us 200 thousand lira,' then 'Give us 160 thousand lira,' and then 'Give it in parts.' Finally, Veysel, who locked the door behind me, asked me for 10 thousand lira. I told them I had no money and asked them to contact my wife. They asked my wife for 10 thousand lira. He sent my wife the account information from his phone and said, 'If you send 10 thousand lira, I will rescue your husband.' However, no matter how much money we sent, they would have killed me. Their aim was to extort money from me.
"THEY CAME WITHIN 20 MINUTES"
Continuing his words, İnce said, "My wife couldn't find the money. She told me, 'Video call me so I can see you.' I told my wife, 'I am sending the guy's IBAN number,' sent her my location, wrote the name of the hotel, and said, 'Call the police.' Then I deleted the messages from my phone. After that, I locked the phone and gave it to him. After that, the Public Order came in about 20 minutes. About 15 people came and rescued me from there. They arrested all the guys. May God bless them. I thank the Beyoğlu Public Order; they took great care of me. They did not leave any deficiencies. They helped me as if I were their own brother. I thank them very much; may God bless them. Our state is a great blessing for us."
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