25.03.2026 15:25
The family members of Yaren Mercan, a medical student who lost her life in an accident where a car driven by a drunk driver hit her motorcycle in Kayseri, spoke at her grave. Büşra Mercan stated that her sister Yaren had a project related to addiction, saying, "I will develop something so that all of Turkey will know my name, and I will be beneficial to everyone."
The family of medical student Yaren Mercan, who lost her life after being hit by a drunk driver in Kayseri, spoke at her graveside.
DRUNK DRIVER TOOK HER LIFE The accident occurred on March 19 in the evening hours on Sayer Street in the Mevlana neighborhood of Talas district. The car with license plate 38 YE 008, driven by Kadir Efe, collided with the motorcycle operated by Yaren Mercan. The motorcycle, which was thrown several meters, left its driver Mercan injured. Yaren Mercan, a 4th-year student at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, passed away in the hospital one day later. It was determined that Kadir Efe, who was taken into custody, had a blood alcohol level of 1.05 promille. After the autopsy procedures, Mercan was buried in the city cemetery on March 21. A doctor's gown was placed over Yaren Mercan's coffin during the funeral. Meanwhile, the drunk driver Efe was arrested.
"MY DAD IS ALIVE" It was revealed that Yaren had a video call with her father four hours before the accident and sent a photo to her father Mehmet Mercan from the place where she was studying. In the photo, Yaren's motorcycle helmet was on the table, and it was seen that father Mercan had saved Yaren in his phone as 'my doctor daughter.' In the message where Yaren sent the photo to her father, the phrase 'My dad is alive' was also included. It was stated that Yaren sent her last photos before the accident to her father as well.
HER BIGGEST DREAM WAS TO BE A SURGEON On the other hand, it was stated that Yaren Mercan's family was from Kayseri, but they lived in Muğla due to her father's job, and she spent the holiday in Kayseri preparing for her final exams and did not go to her family. It was noted that Mercan's biggest dream was to become a brain surgeon.
SISTER MERCAN: A PLANNED MURDER Yaren Mercan's mother Binnaz, father Mehmet, sister Büşra, and sister Damla made statements to DHA at the young girl's graveside. Yaren's sister Büşra Mercan said, "The killer of my sister had previously injured other people while driving under the influence. My sister was not just buried. Her dreams, her unfinished efforts, she had a project related to addicts. She became a victim of an addict. I am her sister, but right now I am not mourning my sister, but a country's doctor, a family's apple of the eye, the efforts of a civil servant family who wore a pair of shoes for 10 years stitch by stitch, effort by effort, without buying her anything just so she could study well and chase her dreams, were taken away from us by a killer. This is a planned murder," she said.
"WE WANT HER NAME TO BE REMEMBERED" Büşra Mercan, stating that her sister preferred to study instead of coming to them during the holiday, said, "On the day of Ramadan, she studied instead of coming to us during the holiday. On Thursday, instead of passing her exam, we buried her. I want this case to be followed. The last time we spoke, she was talking about projects where her name would be written everywhere. She said she would develop something so that all of Turkey would know my name, and I would be beneficial to everyone. Today, we see her name on a tombstone because of a killer. But we have taken on the unfinished projects she left behind and the projects she wanted to do as a family. We will establish a memorial forest for the students she left behind so that her name can be given to classrooms. She always said she was studying medicine. But she did everything to announce it to all of Turkey. We want her name to be given to places where it can be seen by people who prioritize education, where her enthusiasm can inspire others, and where the light she showed us can illuminate us all," she said.
MOTHER: BE A VOICE TO OUR VOICE Yaren's mother Binnaz Mercan said, "In this grave lies everything that was left incomplete, her dreams, hopes, and love. I call out to the Turkish people; to everyone who has someone they love. No one can do anything for my child anymore. But I ask for help from all of you for the children to come. I want everyone who has someone they love to raise their voice to protect them from this pain. So that no other children burn. Because a person who is drunk gets into a car knowing that they are risking someone's life, this is murder. No one should accept this in any other way. Be a voice to our voice," she said.
FATHER: SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO COME AFTER THE HOLIDAY, WE CAME Father Mehmet Mercan said, "There should be no allowance for drunk driving. I want him to be tried for 'intentional murder' because he was driving under the influence. I lost my daughter; I don't want others to lose theirs. My daughter was supposed to become a surgeon when she graduated. She had very big dreams. But this monster did not allow that. She was educating children to raise new Yaren's. But this person destroyed my daughter's dreams. We want justice. I had a video call with my daughter 4 hours before the accident. She said, 'Dad, I am studying, I have an exam after the holiday, then I will come to Muğla.' But she could not come; we came; they destroyed my daughter's dreams," he expressed.
"LET HIM ROT IN PRISON" Yaren's sister Damla Mercan said, "We all loved her very much. Someone came; they took my mother's lamb, my father's soul, and my friend from us. I want that monster to rot in prison in every way possible," she said.