20.02.2025 16:10
An investigation is ongoing regarding the death of Ülker Güleryüz, who reacted to the municipality's seizure of her dog in the Altındağ district of Ankara, following a fire that broke out in her shanty on the same day. The Ankara Bar Association Animal Rights Center submitted a petition to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, requesting that the incident be treated as a murder, based on suspicions that Ülker Güleryüz's home was set on fire.
In the Gültepe neighborhood of the Altındağ district, Ülker Güleryüz, known as 'Aunt Necla' in her community for feeding street dogs, had her dog named 'Bambam' taken by municipal teams the other day. Güleryüz reacted to the removal of her dog along with the other stray dogs that were collected.
MOMENTS OF TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE REFLECTED IN VIDEO
Güleryüz's reaction to the municipal officials and her attempts to stop the vehicle were also captured on video. That same evening, a fire broke out in the shanty where Güleryüz lived. The fire was extinguished by firefighters, but Güleryüz lost her life. After the autopsy procedures, Güleryüz's funeral was held yesterday at the Karşıyaka Cemetery.
AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN INITIATED
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into Güleryüz's death. Attorney Tuğba Gürsoy, the President of the Ankara Bar Association Animal Rights Center, also submitted a petition to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requesting the investigation to be expanded and for the fire to be considered a murder. The petition stated that Ülker Güleryüz died as a result of a suspicious fire in the shack where she lived with her animals, and that on the day of the incident, she contacted the Ankara Bar Association Animal Rights Center through her neighbors seeking help after the Altındağ Municipality took her dogs.
EXPERT EXAMINATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED
The petition emphasized that on the date of the incident, Ülker Güleryüz attempted to prevent the removal of her dog, which had a chip, and that videos of her shouting at municipal officials to return her dog were shared on social media. These videos were shared on social media under the title 'The dog feeder, seeing the municipality collecting in Ankara Altındağ, is causing a scene,' targeting Ülker Güleryüz, and users made threatening comments wishing for her death, such as 'I want to catch these dog catchers.'
THREATENING POSTS WERE ALSO ATTACHED TO THE PETITION
It was stated that screenshots of the aforementioned posts were added as evidence to the petition, and it was requested that the statements of Ülker Güleryüz's neighbors, who have information about the incident, be taken. The petition requested that the investigation be expanded, and since there may be a suspicion of arson, an expert examination should be conducted at the scene, and the security camera footage in the vicinity should be reviewed.
"WE WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THIS CASE"
Attorney Tuğba Gürsoy stated in a press release, "There is clearly a murder here, and we want it to be investigated. Therefore, we will not give up on this case. Under the guise of safe streets and safe cities, some accounts are trying to create conflict among people by promoting animal hostility. We also demand that everyone who wished for Aunt Necla's death and wished for her to perish in flames be included in this investigation, and that these accounts be immediately closed and their administrators prosecuted."