15.05.2025 12:12
Mehmet Basık, who is accused of murdering the hearing-impaired Nihal Babayiğit, whose bones were found months after she went missing in Antalya, gave his statement for the first time through a sign language expert during the final hearing. Basık stated that after an argument broke out between them, Nihal Babayiğit attacked him with a teaspoon, and then he caught the fleeing young woman and stabbed her in the throat with the same teaspoon.
Nihal Babayiğit, who lives in Serik, met Mehmet Basık, who also has hearing impairment and lives in Batman, through social media in 2022. Before she went missing, her family learned that Babayiğit had married Basık with a religious ceremony and started living in Batman. In 2023, Babayiğit gave birth to a child, but 15 days after the birth, she left her baby in Batman and returned to her family in Serik.
VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE MURDER
In October 2023, Mehmet Basık came to Serik and met with Nihal Babayiğit. After that day, no news was received from the young woman. On May 1, people known to Basık sent videos and photos to Nihal Babayiğit’s uncle, Ali Yılmaz. The footage showed Babayiğit lying motionless on the ground with blood stains on her neck, along with her identity and mobile phone. Following the family's complaint, police teams took action. Mehmet Basık was detained and arrested in Batman on May 2. In the same investigation, B.G., who lived with him under a religious marriage, was also detained on charges of "instigating murder" and was released under judicial control.
DISCOVERY OF BONES THROUGH LOCATION INDICATION
While the investigation was ongoing, the defendant Basık was brought from prison to indicate the location. At the point he indicated, bones belonging to Nihal Babayiğit were found in a wooded area by the roadside in Eminceler on the Serik-Belek highway.
PROSECUTOR SOUGHT HEAVY PENALTIES
The indictment stated that Mehmet Basık came from Kırşehir to Serik, met Nihal Babayiğit in Eminceler, and committed the murder with a knife during a dispute. An aggravated life sentence was sought for Basık for "premeditated murder against a woman," and a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years was requested for B.G. for "aiding in premeditated murder against a woman."
HE CONFESSED TO THE MURDER IN COURT
During the final hearing of the case at the Manavgat 3rd High Criminal Court, the defendant Mehmet Basık detailed the murder through sign language interpreter Guddusi Aydın. He stated that they met at a café on the day of the incident and claimed that during a video call, Nihal showed her naked photos to B.G. from her phone, which led to a fight between them. Basık claimed that after leaving the café, Nihal attacked him with a teaspoon, and he caught her and stabbed her in the throat with the spoon.
"DON'T BOTHER, DON'T TAKE HER TO THE DOCTOR"
Basık stated that there was a police station nearby where the events took place, which is why he did not do anything there, and he followed the victim. "I caught her, and we continued to argue. I took the teaspoon from her hand and stabbed her in the throat. At that moment, the video call on my social media app was still open. I wanted to take Nihal to the hospital, but B.G. told me, 'Don't bother, don't take her to the doctor, she will be fine.' Meanwhile, B.G. recorded the videos, sent them to our friend in Istanbul, and then the footage spread on social media. B.G. is responsible for me committing this crime," he stated.
When the presiding judge asked, 'Are you confessing?' Basık replied, "Yes, I confess. Until now, the inmates in my cell told me, 'Don't tell the truth, you will get a heavy sentence,' so I was scared and gave a different statement. I am sorry and regretful for what I did."
DEFENSE ATTORNEY REQUESTED RELEASE
The defendant's attorney, Hamid Yalçın, claimed that there were deficiencies in the case and requested release and acquittal. The mother of the murdered Nihal Babayiğit, Derya Yılmaz, and her grandmother, Akgül Yılmaz, demanded the heaviest punishment for the defendant.
VERDICT HEARING ON JUNE 11
The court ruled that the detention of the defendant Mehmet Basık would continue. Due to one of the judges being on marriage leave, the hearing was postponed to June 11 for the newly appointed judge to review the case. The presiding judge announced that no statements would be taken from the parties during that hearing and only the verdict would be read.
After the hearing, Attorney Yağmur Burçin Sayın, speaking on behalf of the Association for Children and Women First, stated that the hearings had been completed and the verdict would be read on June 11, calling on the public to support the verdict hearing on June 11. Mother Derya Yılmaz and grandmother Akgül Yılmaz stated that the defendant was lying, saying, "We want him to receive the heaviest sentence. He took our daughter away from life."