13.10.2026 22:56
Famous surgeon Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, who performed Turkey's first face transplant, and his wife, Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan, narrowly escaped a major danger in a chain-reaction traffic accident in Samsun. In the accident involving five vehicles, bleeding was detected in Ömer Özkan's skull, while it was reported that the couple's health condition was good after their treatment.
Famous surgeon Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, who was part of the team that performed Turkey’s first face transplant, and his wife, Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan, were injured in a traffic accident they had in Samsun. In the chain-reaction accident involving five vehicles, Ömer Özkan, who was found to have bleeding in his skull, was taken under treatment, while it was learned that the couple’s health condition was good.
THEY WERE GOING TO THE AIRPORT
Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan and Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan had a traffic accident while going to the airport after the academic year opening ceremony they attended in Samsun. In the accident, which also involved the official vehicle of Ondokuz Mayıs University Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, five vehicles crashed into one another.
ACCIDENT AFTER THE ACADEMIC CEREMONY
Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan and Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, as well as university administrators, academics and students, attended the 2026-2027 Academic Year Opening Ceremony held at Ondokuz Mayıs University Atatürk Congress and Culture Center.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan told the stories of the first arm, uterus and face transplant operations performed by his team. After his speech, during which he also touched on the legal and operational difficulties encountered in transplant processes, Özkan was presented with a plaque by OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın. The program ended with a family photo taken.
FIVE VEHICLES INVOLVED IN CHAIN-REACTION ACCIDENT
After the ceremony, the Özkan couple, who set off for the airport to return to Antalya, got into the official vehicle of host rector Fatma Aydın. While Ömer Özkan sat in the front seat of the vehicle driven by the driver, the two rectors sat in the back seat.
In the accident that occurred around 19:30 within the borders of Tekkeköy district, it was stated that a vehicle traveling ahead slowed down and steered to avoid hitting the barrier placed due to road construction work. Thereupon, the rectorate’s official vehicle also slowed down. The chain-reaction accident occurred when three cars coming from behind crashed into the vehicle one after another.
In the accident involving five vehicles, Fatma Aydın’s official vehicle sustained minor damage, while some of the other vehicles sustained severe damage.
BLEEDING DETECTED IN ÖMER ÖZKAN’S SKULL
Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, who was found to have bleeding in his skull after the accident, was treated. Özkan, who returned to Antalya by plane, underwent a CT scan. In the examination, it was reported that the CT scan result came back clean.
It was stated that the general health conditions of Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan, who had pain in her back, and her husband Ömer Özkan were good.