11.09.2025 17:41
It has been revealed that the 16-year-old assailant who carried out the armed attack on the police station in Izmir learned to use a weapon from his hunting enthusiast father and practiced shooting with him. Investigations of the assailant's mobile phone and computer showed that he was following accounts linked to terrorist organizations and watching videos on how to make homemade explosives on the internet.
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The investigation initiated by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the armed attack on the Balçova Police Station, where 2 police officers were martyred and 3 people, including 2 police officers, were injured, is ongoing. An examination was conducted on the "digital footprint" found on the mobile phone and computer of E.B., who carried out the attack.
FOLLOWED ACCOUNTS LINKED TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
It was determined that E.B. followed various accounts linked to terrorist organizations on social media, watched ideology and attack videos, and adopted the ideology of the armed terrorist organization ISIS. E.B., who designed the attack based on the videos he watched, was found to have made explosives containing "firecrackers" by watching homemade explosive preparation videos on the internet, and it was determined that he used these explosives shortly before being caught.
NO EVIDENCE OF INSTRUCTIONS TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACK
It was also determined that E.B. shared on his social media account that he would carry out the attack, but so far, no evidence has been found that he carried out the attack based on instructions from a terrorist organization.
PRACTICED SHOOTING WITH HIS FATHER
It was learned that E.B.'s father, N.B., has had a passion for hunting for many years, and that he owns two licensed shotguns and has taken his son hunting since he was a young child. The attacker learned to use firearms from N.B., and it was reported that the father and son practiced shooting and hunting in the areas of Urla and Karaburun in İzmir.
HAS BECOME WITHDRAWN RECENTLY
It was determined that high school student E.B. had become withdrawn and turned to deviant thoughts for about a year, and that his family and surroundings noticed this situation but did not make any applications to the authorities. In his statement to the police, father N.B. explained that his child's mental state had changed in the last 8 months, becoming withdrawn and turning to deviant ideas. Mother A.B. also stated that when she noticed her son watching videos of terrorist organizations, she said, "I will tell the police," but they were trying to solve the problem internally.
PROCEEDINGS OF 11 SUSPECTS ARE CONTINUING
While E.B., who was taken into custody as a wounded person after the attack, continues his treatment in the hospital, it was learned that among the suspects detained in İzmir, as well as in Istanbul, Ankara, Şanlıurfa, and Kocaeli, one is of Iranian nationality and four are of Syrian nationality, and the proceedings of 11 suspects at the police station are ongoing. It was determined that the suspects had interactions with the attacker on social media.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the attack carried out by E.B. with a shotgun at the Salih İşgören Police Station in Balçova on September 8, police chief inspector Muhsin Aydemir and police officer Hasan Akın were martyred, while police officers Ömer Amilağ and Murat Dağlı and one civilian were injured. The attacker E.B. was also neutralized as a wounded person in the ensuing clash. In the investigation related to the incident, of the 27 suspects detained, 16 of whom were under the age of 18, were referred to the courthouse after their proceedings at the İzmir Police Department's Child Branch, and were released after their statements at the prosecutor's office.
In a statement made by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated, "The children who were led to crime were released after the statement-taking procedures, with measures applied in accordance with Article 5 of the 'Protective and Supportive Measures' section of the Law on the Protection of Children No. 5395, including educational measures, counseling measures, and social media usage training measures."
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