05.10.2025 13:52
The case related to the incident in which equestrian instructor Semanur Arslan fell from the 43rd floor of the skyscraper where Ferhat D. lived in Ankara last year has been reopened. The court lifted the decision not to prosecute due to deficiencies such as the lack of investigation despite the presence of male DNA under Arslan's nails, the absence of a source for the farewell message, and the failure to resolve contradictions in the statements.
Ankara'da binicilik eğitmeni Semanur Arslan (27), geçen yıl 20 Ekim'de, arkadaşı Ferhat D. 'nin Çankaya ilçesi Konutkent Mahallesi'nde oturduğu gökdelenin 43'üncü katındaki penceresinden düşerek hayatını kaybetti. Olay sırasında evde bulunan Ferhat D. ve Ezgi Ö. , gözaltına alındı ve ifadelerinin ardından serbest bırakıldı.
"FAREWELL LETTER" ENTERED THE FILE Ferhat D. stated in his testimony that he did not know Semanur Arslan, that they were in another room during the incident, and that they did not see her when they went outside. Ezgi Ö. claimed that Arslan had problems with her boyfriend and was constantly crying. In the investigation regarding Semanur Arslan's death, a farewell letter, which was alleged to have been written by Arslan, was also included in the file following the examination of her encrypted mobile phone. It was reported that Arslan's note included the statements, "Everyone is guilty. I leave everyone to their own conscience. We will meet in the afterlife."
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE DECIDED NOT TO PROSECUTE As part of the investigation into the incident, after taking the statements of Ferhat D. and his friend Ezgi Ö., and the autopsy and toxicology reports were completed, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided not to prosecute the case last May due to the 'lack of sufficient evidence to create reasonable suspicion.'
The decision stated that no image record could be obtained from Arslan's phone and that no examination could be conducted, that it was determined that there were no suspicious communications in Arslan's HTS examination, and that the autopsy report indicated that the cause of death was due to internal and external bleeding. It was emphasized that no evidence was found contradicting the statements of the suspects and that the writing, which was considered to be Arslan's farewell letter, was regarded as evidence of suicide.
MINISTRY APPEALED THE DECISION The Family and Social Services Ministry and the lawyers of the Arslan family appealed the decision not to prosecute. The case was brought to the Ankara 2nd Criminal Court of Peace. In the petition submitted to the court, the Family and Social Services Ministry pointed out that the investigation was conducted inadequately.
ORDERED A TAXI AND PREPARED HER BELONGINGS The petition stated that Semanur Arslan called a taxi before her death and prepared her belongings, placing them in the living room. It was emphasized that Arslan's phone was not examined, stating, "The prosecutor's office made a decision of non-prosecution without conducting the necessary and sufficient investigation. The examination of the phone used by the victim was not conducted. The fact that the victim called a taxi to leave the scene, prepared her suitcase and belongings, is not the behavior of someone contemplating suicide, and this situation is contrary to the ordinary course of life. It is unclear whether the writing resembling a farewell note, seen on the screen with a pink background, was shared by the victim on social media or if it was written by the victim."
"NO SOURCE FOR THE FAREWELL MESSAGE" The family's lawyer, Can Lafcı, also stated in the petition that the prosecutor's office conducted a superficial investigation, and that it was erroneous to reach a conclusion based on the fact that the statements of the suspects were consistent with the camera recordings. He emphasized that the source of the screenshot considered as a 'farewell message', including which platform it was taken from, the time, and IP information, was not included in the file. Lafcı expressed that although it was stated that Arslan's mobile phone could not be opened due to a password, it was unclear how this message was obtained, thus indicating that the digital examination was insufficient. Additionally, the petition stated that the statements of the victim's close circle were not consulted, that signs of sexual assault or physical violence were not examined, and that the effects of the substances 'benzoylecgonine and pregabalin' detected in her blood were not evaluated, arguing that the autopsy report was inadequate.
THE FILE WILL BE REEXAMINED The court, which evaluated the appeal petitions and the scope of the file, annulled the decision of non-prosecution by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The court stated in the decision that the investigation was conducted inadequately and that many critical issues had not been clarified, noting that Arslan's mobile phone could not be opened due to a password, yet the screenshot described as a 'farewell message' was not investigated regarding which device and platform it was obtained from, and that the statements of the suspects claiming 'the victim was in a suicidal state' were contrary to the ordinary course of life, despite the contradictions among the suspect testimonies, these statements were taken as the basis for the decision.
MALE DNA WAS DETECTED UNDER HER NAILS The decision also stated that the HTS records were only identified but not analyzed, that the individuals with whom the victim frequently communicated were not identified and their statements were not taken, and that although it was known that the victim had not been in contact with her father for a long time, only his statement was taken, while the statements of her mother and siblings were not heard, and that the identity of the male DNA detected under her nails was not determined, emphasizing that these DNA samples should be compared with samples to be taken from identified suspects. The court decided that these deficiencies should be addressed and that statements from relevant individuals should be taken before a reevaluation is conducted. Thus, the investigation into Semanur Arslan's death was reopened.
"THE DECISION SHOWED THAT THE FAMILY'S CONCERNS WERE JUSTIFIED" Lawyer Can Lafcı stated that the investigation into Semanur Arslan's death was initiated regarding suicide, murder, or incitement to suicide, stating, "One of the most important reasons for opening the investigation was the farewell message allegedly found on Semanur's phone. Despite the fact that the phone's password could not be opened in any way, it was determined how this message was obtained, from which social media platform it was shared, and that IP logs and digital sources were not identified.```html
The court found it erroneous to close the case without clarifying these issues. It was also observed that the suspects detailed Semanur's psychology. However, considering that they had just met her, these statements were deemed contrary to the ordinary course of life. The family is certainly in great pain. They lost their child, and there are no words to describe this pain. However, the court's decision has at least been hopeful for them in terms of conducting the investigation in a comprehensive and complete manner. The family has been saying from the beginning that the case was closed with incomplete examinations. This decision showed that their concerns were justified. Now, their most important expectation in this process is the deepening of the investigation and the clarification of all aspects of the incident," he said.
"FALL CASES SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED SURFACE-LEVEL" Lafcı emphasized that the court's decision is significant not only for the Semanur Arslan case but also for femicides in Turkey in general, stating, "Recently, femicides and fall incidents from high-rise buildings are increasing. Therefore, such cases should be investigated with much more sensitivity and diligence. Especially, the deaths of women resulting from falls from high-rise buildings have almost become routine. Fall cases should no longer be closed superficially; they need to be examined in all details," he said. Lawyer Lafcı reminded that no arrest warrant has been issued in the case so far.
NOTES WRITTEN IN HER NOTEBOOK HAD EMERGED Before her death, Semanur Arslan's notes written in her notebook emerged last year. In her handwritten note, she stated, "I have a lot of money and I am rich, with all the power, respect, love, and trust I need. I am safe; I have cleansed myself of all the bad around me. My mother loves me unconditionally and infinitely. I am happy and I have the power to help everyone in need. I am very rich; because every part of my body is healthy, clean, and safe."
"MY DAUGHTER NEVER COMMITTED SUICIDE" Semanur's mother, Elif Karaca, stated in her remarks after the incident, "Where would my daughter go barefoot? Why would my daughter go down to the parking lot? My daughter doesn't have a car. If my daughter were to do such a thing, why would she call a taxi to go home? My daughter couldn't return home. They didn't let my daughter return. My daughter would never commit suicide. She was a lively child. My daughter never committed suicide," she said.
Semanur Arslan's mother, Elif Karaca ```