07.07.2026 17:50
The defendant Deniz B., who confessed to drowning 17-year-old Hasret Akkuzu—whose body was found in a water well in Zonguldak last October—was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment.
In Zonguldak, the defendant Deniz B., who drowned 17-year-old Hasret Akkuzu and whose body was found in a water well, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment. The court also sentenced the defendant's brother to 1 year in prison for destroying evidence of the crime.
In the second hearing held at the Zonguldak 3rd Heavy Penal Court, the court panel announced its decision. The hearing was attended by the detained defendant Deniz B., the non-detained defendants: his brother Arif B., his sister-in-law Necla B., and the vehicle owner Erkan S., along with the lawyers of the parties.
In his defense, the defendant Deniz B., who stated that he used the vehicle he borrowed from Erkan S. to dispose of Hasret Akkuzu, recalled that they had a legal dispute due to problems with Akkuzu and her boyfriend. Deniz B. explained that on the day of the incident, he wanted to discuss this situation and asked Akkuzu to go to court and give a statement, noting that during this time, Hasret Akkuzu continued with irrelevant questions and dialogues.
"HASRET WAS JUST LYING SILENTLY"
The defendant said, "I said, 'We have a court case, don't skip the hearing.' She started shouting, 'Don't keep talking about the court case. Have we been struggling for months for nothing? I can't account for this,'" he continued.
Describing that he lost consciousness at that moment and grabbed Hasret Akkuzu's throat with his left hand, causing both of them to fall to the ground, Deniz B. stated, "When I came to, I started calling out to Hasret, who was lying on the ground, but she didn't respond. In shock, I started wandering around. I didn't know what to do. I picked up Hasret from where she had fallen and left her by the roadside. I never checked her pulse. I thought to myself, 'I wonder if Hasret is really dead?' because I couldn't believe what had happened. I called out to Hasret, but she didn't respond; she was just lying silently."
Responding to the court president's question about how long he squeezed her throat, the defendant said, "I don't remember how long I squeezed her throat."
"I WANTED TO LEAVE HER IN THE CEMETERY, THEN THOUGHT OF THROWING HER INTO THE WELL"
The defendant explained that he left Hasret Akkuzu by the roadside and quickly returned to the vehicle, then drove back to the location of the body and placed Akkuzu in the vehicle's trunk. He stated that he first considered leaving Akkuzu in the cemetery and then going to the police station, but instead, he went to an area used as a picnic site.
The defendant said, "While walking, I saw a tree. At the base of the tree, there was this well. I noticed that well; I didn't initially act with the intention of throwing her into it. I didn't even remember that well. While walking along the road, I noticed the well. I must have carried Hasret in my arms for more than 100 meters. There was a trough near the well; I wanted to wash my hands and face. At that moment, it occurred to me to throw Hasret into the well."
The defendant explained that while washing his face, he saw the cover of the well and, because it had screws, he left the body in the forested area and went to his brother's workshop. Deniz B. stated that when he was taking a hammer from the workshop, his brother asked, "What are you going to do?" He added, "I took the hammer and went to the scene. I opened the screws of the well with the hammer. Then I threw Hasret into the well."
Answering the question about whether his brother knew about the murder, the defendant said, "If my brother had known I would do such a thing, he would never have allowed it. However, I accept any punishment given to me."
The court panel, although the non-detained defendant, brother Arif B., was found to have no connection to the incident and the prosecutor requested his acquittal, sentenced him to 2 years in prison for the charge of destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime. However, considering the act as one of assistance, the court decided on a 1-year prison sentence.
Regarding the other non-detained defendants, Necla B. and Erkan S., acquittal was decided. The detained defendant Deniz B. was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the charge of intentional killing of a child and a woman.