12.06.2026 16:00
In Batman, the case of Mehmet Şirin Çelik, who lost his life in an armed attack while grazing animals in 2021, was resolved years later. In the reopened investigation, the murder was assessed to be part of a feud that began with the 2018 incident of Gülpınar Kızılkaya, whose body was found in a rainwater well, and turned into a blood feud over the years. Footage of the operation carried out against 11 suspects in Batman and Van has also emerged.
A striking development occurred years later in the case of Mehmet Şirin Çelik, who was killed in a armed attack while grazing animals in Batman in 2021. In the reopened investigation, evidence emerged indicating the murder was due to a long-standing blood feud between two families, and footage of simultaneous operations targeting 11 suspects in Batman and Van was also revealed. The suspects detained in the case, which JASAT illuminated through technical surveillance, confidential witness statements, and extensive field work, remain under investigation.
5-YEAR-OLD UNSOLVED MURDER ILLUMINATED
Mehmet Şirin Çelik, who was attacked with a firearm while grazing animals on April 20, 2021, in the Karatepe village area of Batman's Beşiri district, lost his life. In the investigation launched after the incident, no concrete evidence was found for a long time, and the case was revisited years later.
In the new investigation, witness statements, HTS records, PTS data, intelligence information, and field work were evaluated together. The findings indicated that the murder might be an extension of a long-running blood feud between the Çelik and Günbey families.
BLOOD FEUD'S BACKGROUND ENTERED THE FILE
Within the scope of the investigation, the enmity between the two families was determined to date back years. According to information in the file, the enmity leading to Çelik's death stemmed from a murder in 2018. It emerged that Gülpınar Kızılkaya, whose body was found in a rainwater well, became pregnant by a person named Aydın Avcı and was killed for this reason, and that Avcı was caught and punished as the perpetrator. The mutual attacks, assault incidents, and murders that grew the enmity were assessed to have turned into a blood feud over time.
In the investigation file, it was stated that events such as the murder of Bayram Günbey, the injury of Hüseyin Günbey, and the murder of İhsan Türkoğlu were also part of the same chain of enmity.
ALLEGATION OF LEAVING PHONES IN ANOTHER REGION
Deepening the investigation, teams determined that some suspects tried to hide their tracks by leaving their phones in different regions on the day of the incident. Technical examinations revealed that some suspects provided signals in and around Batman's Kozluk district during the incident hours.
Based on the obtained data, a communication interception measure was applied to the suspects by a decision of Batman 2nd Criminal Court of Peace.
CONFIDENTIAL WITNESS STATEMENT CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION
Under the coordination of the Department of Unsolved Crimes Investigation, established by the order of Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, JASAT teams conducted extensive work. Interviews were held with people familiar with the Çelik and Günbey families, and field research was expanded.
The turning point in the investigation came with a confidential witness statement. The confidential witness explained that the murder was planned by certain names within the family, organized for revenge, and provided details on how the attack was carried out. Significant progress was made in the investigation when the witness statements matched technical data.
SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION IN BATMAN AND VAN
Based on the evidence obtained, a coordinated simultaneous operation was carried out on June 12, 2026, in Batman and Van under the coordination of the Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. During the operation, 11 separate addresses were raided, and 11 suspects considered connected to the murder were detained. While the suspects are alleged to have played a role in the planning and execution phase of the incident, it was learned that the investigation is continuing in multiple directions.
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