20.10.2026 16:35
In Aydın, Umut Kuru (24), who shot and killed former Aydınspor Club President Erhan Özlüer and his brother Ayhan Özlüer with a gun at the bakery they operated, claimed at the first hearing that the brothers owed him 5 million lira and that he had been threatened, and did not request his release. While the indictment seeks aggravated life imprisonment twice for Kuru, witnesses claimed that after the incident the defendant tried to strangle the person lying on the ground. The hearing was adjourned to January 12.
Umut Kuru (24), who shot and killed former Aydınspor Club President Erhan Özlüer and his brother Ayhan Özlüer with a handgun at the bakery they operated, appeared before a judge for the first time. Kuru, who claimed he was owed approximately 5 million lira by the Özlüer brothers and had been threatened, said, “I know the suffering I endured in the previous process. Sometimes I say, ‘I wish I had died.’ I have no request for release.”
The incident occurred on March 20 around 17:00 at a bakery on İsmet Sezgin Boulevard in the Girne neighborhood of Efeler district. Erhan Özlüer, who ran the bakery, and his brother Ayhan Özlüer were attacked with a firearm while at their workplace. The suspect, who opened fire with a handgun, fled after the incident. Upon notification, medical and police teams were dispatched to the area. In the examination by medical teams, it was determined that the two brothers had lost their lives. Police teams caught the suspect Umut Kuru at the entrance to the Aydın-İzmir Highway and took him into custody. Kuru, who claimed in his initial statement that he had been defrauded and threatened, was arrested by the court he was brought before at the courthouse to which he was referred. Erhan Özlüer and Ayhan Özlüer were buried side by side in Kemer Cemetery.
CLAIM OF 5 MILLION LIRA OWED
The Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor's Office completed its investigation into Kuru. In the prepared indictment, Kuru was sought to be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment twice for the crime of “premeditated murder” of the two brothers. Kuru's trial began at the Aydın 2nd High Criminal Court. The defendant and his lawyers and the complainants' lawyers were present at the hearing. In his defense at the hearing, Kuru said that he had a relationship with the Özlüer brothers dating back many years, that he had worked at their bakery at a young age, and that in the following period they had established business partnerships together. Kuru, who alleged that after he went to prison there were problems in their partnership relations and he could not collect his receivables, said, “I went to prison for the crime of ‘sexual assault.’ The woman conspired with them against me. Later she confessed the situation and withdrew her complaint. When I went to prison, they seized my partnership status.” Kuru, claiming that he was owed a total of 5 million lira and that he could not get his money for about 1.5 years, said, “We were partners in 3 bakeries. We put 500,000 lira each into the bakery in Marmaris. For a long time I could not collect my receivables. The partnership was going to end; I would collect my receivables and hand over the remaining assets to them. To save my money, I took over a business from them in Çeşme. On top of that, I gave a 5 million lira promissory note.”
I FIRED BECAUSE I PANICKED
Kuru, claiming that during the period when he was regularly paying his promissory notes he was not informed of various debts, said, “I began to be unable to pay due to insurance and tax debts they did not inform me about. There was psychological pressure on me. To escape the pressure, I tried to transfer the property in my name to them. When I met with Ayhan at the notary for the vehicle transfer, there were 2 people with him. These people were playing with knives in their hands. I perceived this as a threat. Because I felt myself in danger, I got a weapon from E.T. I completed the transfer at the notary, but because I was afraid, I could not file a criminal complaint.”
Kuru, stating that on the day of the incident he went to meet the Özlüer brothers to get his promissory notes and exchange holiday greetings, said, “I spoke with Ayhan, then we went to Erhan. They threatened my family. Since we started doing business with these people, I had constantly felt under threat. I was afraid. Ayhan was very agitated, and when I also remembered the people with knives at the notary, I fired 1 shot at him from 1 or 2 meters, not to kill him, but because I panicked. At that moment Erhan lunged at me, and a scuffle broke out between us. He grabbed the gun but fell. I did not hit his head on the ground; he hit it when he fell himself. When I saw the crowd, I panicked even more. I took the gun and fled. I am very sorry about the incident. I know the suffering I endured in the previous process. Sometimes I say, ‘I wish I had died.’ I have no request for release.” Kuru also admitted that in a conversation with his brother before the incident he had said things such as “Enough, either I or they should die,” but he argued that this conversation was not a plan to kill.
WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE AFTERMATH OF THE INCIDENT
Witness C.S., who was heard at the hearing, claimed that when he went down to the scene after the gunshots, he saw Kuru on top of one of the people lying on the ground and squeezing his throat. C.S., stating that he wanted to intervene with Kuru, alleged that the defendant picked up the gun on the ground, pointed it at him, and said, “I'll shoot you too.”
Witness U.S. also claimed that Kuru pressed down on the person lying on the ground with his foot and tried to strangle him with an object similar to a belt located at the waist area of the coats. He recounted that after he saw the gun, he backed away.
Witness H.D., who worked at the bakery, also alleged that during the incident Ayhan Özlüer was speaking and Kuru suddenly fired while keeping his hand in his jacket pocket. H.D., stating that after Ayhan Özlüer fell to the ground, Erhan Özlüer and Kuru struggled, said that he moved away from the bakery to ask for help and during that time heard another gunshot.
After the witnesses were heard, the court panel ruled for the continued detention of the detained defendant Umut Kuru and adjourned the hearing to January 12.