09.07.2026 22:30
In the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir, a suspect who was given an 18-year 8-month prison sentence for stabbing and injuring 18-year-old Betül, whom he followed on the street, and stealing her phone, had his sentence overturned on appeal. After being retried in the local court, he was released under judicial control with a travel ban abroad.
A 17-year-old named Çağlar Efe D., who had been obsessively stalking his 18-year-old neighbor Betül Ç. for 5 months in İzmir, stabbed her 5 times and stole her phone. He was released under judicial control after being detained for 1 year and 9 months. The İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office objected to the release decision.
HE FOLLOWED, STABBED HER MULTIPLE TIMES, STOLE HER PHONE AND FLED... The incident occurred on October 25, 2024, in the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Neighborhood. According to the allegations, Çağlar Efe D., who was 16 at the time, followed the neighbor girl Betül Ç., whom he had been interested in for a while, while she was walking on the street. Noticing the situation, Betül Ç. tried to run away but was injured in the neck area by a knife attack from Çağlar Efe D., who was following her. Çağlar Efe D. then robbed Betül Ç.'s mobile phone and fled. Upon Betül Ç.'s cries for help, those nearby reported the situation to the 112 Emergency Call Center. Following the report, gendarmerie and medical teams were dispatched to the area. Betül Ç. was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was discharged after treatment. The fleeing suspect, Çağlar Efe D., was caught one day later, hiding in his father's house in the Beşyol Neighborhood, through coordinated efforts of the police and gendarmerie. During the search, the mobile phone he had stolen from Betül Ç. was also seized. After processing, Çağlar Efe D. was sent to the courthouse and arrested the same day.
THE INCIDENT WAS ON CAMERA BUT HE DENIED IT On the other hand, it turned out that the knife attack was caught on the security camera of a nearby workplace. The footage shows Çağlar Efe D. following Betül Ç., then running, attacking with a knife, and fleeing. However, despite the footage, Çağlar Efe D. denied the allegations in his statement, saying he knew Betül because she was a neighbor of his grandmother, and claiming, "Some social media sites were opened in Betül's name. They held me responsible for these. I was framed. I didn't stab anyone. The person in the camera recordings is not me. Betül's phone is not with me either."
COMPLAINT OF 'STALKING' Betül Ç., in her statement, said that Çağlar Efe D. had been persistently following her for about 5 months, which led her to report this to the gendarmerie. On the day of the incident, she said he insulted her, took out a knife from his pocket, and wounded her in the face, neck, hip, left hand, and ear area. Betül Ç. also stated that her psychological state deteriorated after the attack, and she experienced sleepless nights and nightmares. Following the investigation, the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment regarding the incident. A case was filed against Çağlar Efe D., seeking up to 12 years in prison for 'Attempted aggravated murder' due to the victim being a woman and a child, up to 12 years in prison for 'Robbery with a weapon' due to the use of a knife, and also up to 2 years in prison for 'Insult'. The hearing for the decision was held on October 17, at the İzmir 2nd Heavy Penal Court for Juveniles. The detained defendant Çağlar Efe D., lawyers of the parties, and members of the Association for the Protection and Preservation of Women and Children attended the hearing. The court panel accepted the nature of the crime as 'Attempted murder' and sentenced the defendant to 12 years in prison, and also sentenced Çağlar Efe D. to 6 years and 8 months in prison for 'Robbery with a weapon'. An acquittal was given for the 'Threat' charge due to lack of conclusive opinion.
THE DECISION WAS OVERTURNED AT THE COURT OF APPEALS The prosecutor and the lawyers of the parties appealed the decision. On February 4, the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Regional Court of Appeals ruled to overturn the verdicts regarding defendant Çağlar Efe D., on the grounds that: when ruling on the charge of 'Attempted aggravated murder', it was left unjustified whether Article 82/1(h) of the Turkish Penal Code, which covers committing a crime 'with the aim of concealing a crime, destroying evidence, facilitating its commission, or avoiding capture', should be applied; when ruling on the charge of 'Aggravated robbery', it was left uncontested whether the known value of the stolen mobile phone should be considered and whether to deviate from the lower limit; and regarding the charge of 'Insult', the defendant's legal status should have been determined but an acquittal was given with a written justification as a result of incomplete prosecution. The case was sent back to the first instance court, the İzmir 2nd Heavy Penal Court for Juveniles. The case was heard again at the İzmir 2nd Heavy Penal Court for Juveniles. At the second session held on July 7, the detained defendant Çağlar Efe D. attended via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBIS), while the lawyers of the parties were also present. Members of the Association for the Protection and Preservation of Women and Children followed the hearing. The prosecutor requested the continuation of the defendant's detention. The defendant's lawyer requested permission for Çağlar Efe D.'s release under judicial control.
THE COURT PANEL ANNOUNCED ITS INTERIM DECISION Granting time for the opinion on the merits of the case, the court panel decided on the 'release of the defendant' considering his age, the time spent in detention, his having a fixed abode, and the fact that detention is a precautionary measure. Defendant Çağlar Efe D. was released under judicial control with a ban on traveling abroad.