18.07.2026 22:30
Zahide Diyar Demirbaş, who was waiting for her father in front of her home in Başakşehir, was left paralyzed after being hit by Barış A., who allegedly was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and was speeding excessively. While the young girl fights for her life, her family, claiming that drug pills were found in the vehicle and two suspects fled, appeals for justice. Mother Mahide Demirbaş protested, saying, 'My child is wasting away before my eyes. You raise and protect her for 23 years, but someone comes and hits your daughter. Can't we even stand in front of our own door?'
A traffic accident in Istanbul Başakşehir darkened the life of a 23-year-old young person. While saying goodbye to guests in front of her home and waiting for her father, Zahide Diyar Demirbaş was severely injured when a driver, allegedly under the influence of alcohol and drugs, recklessly drove into the street and struck her with his car.
Demirbaş, who fought for her life at the hospital and underwent numerous surgeries, became paralyzed. After the terrible incident, the family and loved ones of the young woman, who is now bedridden, held a press conference seeking justice, claiming the driver was under the influence of drugs, other suspects in the vehicle fled, and evidence was attempted to be concealed.
"IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, BUT A MASSACRE WE EXPERIENCED" The joint statement prepared on behalf of the family was read by Zahide Diyar's sister, Eda Yıldırım. Stating that what happened cannot be dismissed as a simple traffic accident, but rather the chain result of an irresponsibility that started in broad daylight, Yıldırım conveyed the background of the incident with these words:
"On Tuesday night, June 30, around 10:55 PM, we experienced a massacre in front of our home on Posta Caddesi that burned our insides, threw our hearts into fire, and darkened our lives. What happened to us was not an accident. It was moments of horror caused by an irresponsible young person under the influence of alcohol and drugs. According to the information we obtained, there was heavy substance use alongside alcohol during a car party that started around noon. The group of five friends, consisting of three men and two women, was around Bahçeşehir Esenkent all day. They were driving dangerously. Although the situation was detected through police cameras and surveillance screens, precautions were unfortunately insufficient. Loud music, excessive speed, actions endangering traffic, and severe consequences... The footsteps of brutality were approaching us step by step."
HORROR IN THE NARROW STREET: TRAPPED BETWEEN CARS The grieving sister, stating that her sibling had no fault and was simply standing in front of her home, expressed the brutality at the moment of impact with these sentences:
"Diyar was standing in front of her home. She was seeing off guests. Right behind her were our 8-year-old twins. On the other side were family members. Barış A. (19), entering the narrow road at incredible speed, lost control and crashed into parked cars. At that moment, Diyar was crushed between the cars and took a very severe blow. The noise, chaos, panic, and shock left everyone stunned. The fractures on our sibling's body were horrific. Due to cuts and excessive blood loss, the line between life and death came down to seconds. Moreover, she was having difficulty breathing due to glass shards hitting her throat. At that moment, we could think of nothing but getting our daughter to the hospital as soon as possible."
WHILE FIGHTING FOR LIFE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THE DRIVER WAS RELEASED Yıldırım, who said they were devastated by the medical report they received upon arriving at the hospital, emphasized that they will not give up pursuing the legal process:
"The initial findings at Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Hospital were that our sibling's lung was shattered and her bladder had burst. She had severe internal bleeding and was immediately taken to intensive care. While we were struggling to keep our daughter alive in those difficult hours, we learned that the suspect was initially released. We never accepted this situation and immediately objected through our lawyers, requesting alcohol and drug tests. The tests showed the person had 1.83 promil alcohol. As a result of our objections, we finally ensured his arrest."
"DRUG PILLS IN TRANSPARENT BAGS CAME OUT OF THE VEHICLE" The sister Eda Yıldırım, drawing attention to the negligence at the scene and the mysterious individuals in the vehicle, claimed that evidence was attempted to be concealed and addressed the authorities as follows:
"As time progressed, we focused on other details of the process. Despite such severe injuries, the vehicle 34 NPG 872 involved in the massacre was hastily removed from its location without waiting for the crime scene investigation team or the prosecutor's order. Only three of the five people in the vehicle could be identified. The other two were nowhere to be found, having disappeared without giving statements. We have filed legal requests for the identification, capture, and drug testing of these two individuals. Because the vehicle that injured our daughter Diyar managed to stop only by hitting a pickup truck nearby. At that moment, when a young person from our family tried to inspect the inside of the vehicle, they noticed a strong smell of alcohol. While looking around, they saw transparent bags; two bags contained drug pills, and the third had a powdery substance. While we were continuing this investigation, police arrived and took the bags, saying we had to hand them over."
MOTHER MAHİDE DEMİRBAŞ: "IF WE CAN'T EVEN STAND IN FRONT OF OUR DOOR, WHAT SHOULD WE WOMEN DO?" The grieving mother Mahide Demirbaş, who took the floor at the meeting and had difficulty standing, rebelled tearfully. Stating that she could not answer her daughter's question, "Mom, when will I walk?" after the surgeries, Mother Demirbaş demanded justice and said:
"My child is wasting away before my eyes. When she says 'Mom, when will I walk,' I cannot cry next to her; I swallow my tears. Her sister grew up with her too; her psychology is shattered. Diyar herself is aware of the situation, she says 'I know my legs don't work.' As a mother, how can I bear this? I ask all mothers out there, my heart is burning. You give 23 years, raise your child with immense effort, protect them from all kinds of evil and filth, but some degenerate comes and hits your daughter in front of her own door. And now some people are trying to remove their filth and cover it up. What kind of lawyer is the opposing party's lawyer, that he can say 'What was she doing there at that hour?' I ask everyone; whether it's 11 PM or 1 AM... If we can't even stand safely in front of our own home, what should we women do? I want justice!"