The sentence "Merve'nin katillerine verilen ceza belli oldu" can be translated into English as: "The sentence given to Merve's killers has been revealed."

In the Pamukkale district of Denizli, the trial of 7 people, 6 of whom are in custody, concluded regarding the murder of 28-year-old Merve Acar, who was shot dead with a shotgun by 26-year-old Yusuf Söylemez, after he chased his cousin Hasan Söylemez, who took refuge in the market where Acar worked as a cashier. In their final statements, the defendants, who apologized to the family and expressed their regret, received aggravated life imprisonment and a 13-year prison sentence for Yusuf Söylemez, who fired the weapon and caused Acar's death, while the other defendants received 13 years each for 5 of them and 9 months for one.

The teams of the Homicide Bureau of the Public Security Branch of the Denizli Provincial Police Department captured 7 suspects, including Yusuf Söylemez, who fled after the incident. The 7 suspects, who were detained, were arrested by the court they were brought to after their procedures at the police station.

The moments of cashier Merve Acar's murder were captured by the market's security camera. In the footage, Yusuf Söylemez, who was arguing with Hasan Söylemez in front of the market, was seen entering with 6 others and firing his shotgun first at Merve Acar and then at Hasan Söylemez. The footage also showed bystanders trying to help the injured Acar and Acar being carried to the ambulance by health teams. After the investigation conducted by the Denizli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an indictment was prepared. In the indictment, aggravated life imprisonment and life imprisonment were requested for Yusuf Söylemez, who killed Merve Acar and injured his cousin Hasan Söylemez, on charges of 'intentional murder against a woman', 'intentional murder', and 'attempted intentional murder'. Aggravated life imprisonment and life imprisonment were also requested for Emircan Uyar, Muhammet Söylemez, Furkan Aygün, İsmail Bağlan, Tolga Gök, and Yusuf Söylemez's girlfriend Buse Simay Karakaya for 'intentional murder against a woman' and 'attempted intentional murder'.

THEY APOLOGIZED TO MERVE'S FAMILY

During the hearing held on October 4 at the Denizli 4th High Criminal Court, defendant Tolga Gök was released under judicial control.

The trial of the defendants continued today with the decision hearing. The family of the murdered Merve Acar was present in the courtroom, while the detained defendants Yusuf Söylemez, Emircan Uyar, Muhammet Söylemez, Furkan Aygün, and İsmail Bağlan were brought in by gendarmerie, and Buse Simay Karakaya, who is in prison, connected via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). The non-detained defendant Tolga Gök also attended the hearing. The lawyers of the parties and the relatives of the defendants also took their places in the courtroom. When asked for their final words during the hearing, the defendants expressed their regret and apologized to Merve Acar's family, stating that they did not want such an incident to occur. After the break, the court panel sentenced Yusuf Söylemez to aggravated life imprisonment for 'intentional murder against a woman' and 13 years in prison for 'attempted intentional murder'. The court also sentenced the other defendants Emircan Uyar, Muhammet Söylemez, Furkan Aygün, Buse Simay Karakaya, and İsmail Bağlan to 13 years each for 'attempted intentional murder', while Tolga Gök received 9 months in prison for 'simple injury'. The court panel also stated in its decision that the defendants' expressions of regret during the last hearing were insufficient and that they had not shown any remorse from the very beginning of the incident until the last hearing, thus not applying any reduction in the sentences given and concluding the case.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The incident occurred on August 20, 2023, in the Kayhan neighborhood. Yusuf Söylemez met with his cousin Hasan Söylemez, with whom he had a feud due to a previous relationship with his girlfriend Buse Simay Karakaya, in the park. Yusuf Söylemez brought along Emircan Uyar, Muhammet Söylemez, Furkan Aygün, İsmail Bağlan, Tolga Gök, and his girlfriend Buse Simay Karakaya to the meeting point. A dispute that broke out among the cousins turned into a fight. Hasan Söylemez, who injured Yusuf Söylemez's hand with a knife he was carrying, fled to a market across the park. Yusuf Söylemez, who followed Hasan Söylemez with a shotgun, fired at Merve Acar, who was working as a cashier in the market, and then at Hasan Söylemez in succession. After the incident, Yusuf Söylemez and the 6 people with him fled. Merve Acar and Hasan Söylemez, who collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood, were taken to Pamukkale University Hospital by ambulance. Despite the doctors' interventions, Merve Acar could not be saved.