18.01.2026 12:20
In the murder of Atlas Çağlayan, who was killed by a single stab wound to the chest by a 15-year-old suspect in Güngören, the defense of the suspect's lawyer drew attention. The lawyer claimed that the accused acted with the intent to "intimidate" rather than "injure" and requested his release, arguing that he was under "unjust provocation." Meanwhile, four individuals who threatened Çağlayan's family with death after the incident were taken into custody.
Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi (15) has brought the concept of "Child Offenders (CO)" into the public eye, while the murder of Atlas Çağlayan (17) was the last straw. A large segment of society is demanding that COs be tried without any reductions in their sentences. Currently, for individuals aged 15-18, if a crime warrants aggravated life imprisonment, they can be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 18 to 24 years.
In a café in Güngören, Istanbul, it was reported that during a fight that started with the pretext of "looking sideways," 15-year-old E.Ç. stabbed Atlas Çağlayan in the chest with a switchblade he was carrying, killing him. While Çağlayan's death plunged Turkey into mourning, new developments emerged in the investigations related to the murder.
4 PEOPLE THREATENING THE FAMILY IN CUSTODY
While the investigation continues, it has come to light that threatening messages were sent to the grieving family of the deceased Atlas Çağlayan. Çağlayan's mother, Gülhan Ünlü, stated regarding the messages she received, "They said, 'We killed your son Atlas, now it's your turn. We will bury you next to your son.'" and added, "I will not bow to threats."
After the incident, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took action and initiated an ex officio investigation regarding the messages in question. Within the scope of the investigation, instructions were given to the Istanbul Provincial Police Department to capture the individuals. Four suspects identified as having threatened the grieving mother were taken into custody.
UNBELIEVABLE DEFENSE FROM THE DEFENDANT'S LAWYER: THE INTENT WAS TO INTIMIDATE
According to the information conveyed by journalist İhsan Yalçın from the defense of the suspect E.Ç.'s lawyer recorded in the minutes; the lawyer claimed that E.Ç. acted with the intent to "intimidate" rather than "injure," and requested his release by arguing that he was under "unjust provocation" due to his young age and the allegation of insult.
On the other hand, the security camera footage that emerged regarding the incident clearly shows the suspect approaching the victim directly and stabbing him without any random movement.