04.06.2026 08:40
Dilan and Engin Polat couple, who were vacationing in Alaçatı, İzmir, experienced the shock of an armed attack. Engin Polat's cousin Can Polat, who was the couple's bodyguard, lost his life in an assassination attempt in front of the hotel. It was revealed that the 23-year-old trigger man, who was caught red-handed, received orders from the "Daltons" gang and that the actual target was Engin Polat; it was also alleged that the execution team determined the family's location from Dilan Polat's social media posts.
The vacation of social media influencers Dilan and Engin Polat in the touristic Alaçatı neighborhood of İzmir's Çeşme district turned bloody. Can Polat, 37, who worked as the couple's bodyguard and was also Engin Polat's cousin, lost his life in an armed attack in front of the hotel where they were staying. The 23-year-old attacker, the perpetrator of the incident, was quickly caught along with the weapon used, while the "gang" detail behind the murder drew attention.
LAID IN AMBUSH
The incident occurred yesterday around 2:00 PM. Can Polat, a father of four, who went outside to load the belongings of the Polat family—who were ending their vacation and preparing to leave the hotel—into the vehicle, became the target of bullets. According to eyewitnesses and hotel operators, the attacker waited on the street from 9:00 AM onwards, watching for the family to come out.
Hotel operator Serhat Yılmazel, who witnessed the attack, recounted those moments with the following words:
"As we also saw from the camera footage, the person comes and tries to fire, but the gun apparently jammed at first. While Can Polat was looking at him, the person comes again and fires 2-3 shots. He directly targeted Mr. Can."
DIED AT THE HOSPITAL
Polat, who took refuge in the hotel covered in blood after being shot, received first aid from those at the hotel, but the unfortunate man could not be saved despite all interventions at the hospital where he was taken.
SUSPECT CAUGHT
Immediately after the incident, teams from the İzmir Provincial Police Department took action and caught the fleeing attacker in a short time. In an official statement made by the İzmir Governorate, it was stated: "The suspect of the incident, S.A., born in 2003, was quickly caught and taken into custody along with the weapon considered to have been used in the crime. The investigation into the incident is being conducted thoroughly and from multiple angles."
ORDER FROM THE DALTONS
As the investigation deepened, striking claims about the background of the murder emerged. According to information reported by journalist Seyhan Avşar, the detained suspect confessed that he received the order for the act from the criminal organization known publicly as "The Daltons."
THEY LEARNED THEIR LOCATION FROM DILAN POLAT'S POSTS
According to the claim, the suspect stated that the real target was Engin Polat, but he could not reach him due to the high security of Polat's surroundings, and therefore, following orders, he turned to a relative of the family. It was also alleged that the gang determined the family's location from Dilan Polat's social media posts, and Engin Polat reportedly confirmed in his initial statement that they had been threatened by this organization for a long time.
DILAN POLAT'S LIVE BROADCAST BECAME A TREND
Meanwhile, Dilan Polat shared a video on her social media account in which she tearfully described the events immediately after the shooting. Dilan Polat used the words: "Please, police, ambulance here... They shot Can Polat. Oh God, our life has become a nightmare now. Please, we all stayed in the room." Dilan Polat removed the video she shared after a while.