13.10.2026 12:05
The sentence of Erdal Necip Sözer, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for killing his wife Semiha Sözer in 2023 by pushing her from rocks approximately 20 meters high in the Altınova district of Yalova, has become final. The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation unanimously upheld the judgment while adding the phrase 'against a woman' to the decision, and did not accept the defendant's request for a good conduct reduction.
The sentence against Erdal Necip Sözer, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for killing his wife Semiha Sözer by pushing her off a cliff in the Altınova district of Yalova, was unanimously upheld by the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation upheld the judgment in a corrected form by also adding the phrase 'against a woman,' while the defendant's request for a good conduct reduction was not accepted.
HE HAD SAID THEY WENT OUT TO HAVE THEIR PHOTO TAKEN
In the incident that occurred on January 24, 2023, at the Ballıkaya area of Soğuksu village in the Altınova district of Yalova, Semiha Sözer (34) fell from a height of approximately 20 meters while she was with her husband Erdal Necip Sözer (41) and lost her life. In his statement, Erdal Necip Sözer said they had climbed the rocks to have their photo taken.
Within the scope of the investigation conducted after the incident, the expert committee formed concluded that the death did not occur as a result of an accident or suicide, and that Semiha Sözer lost her life as a result of being pushed. The defendant, who was arrested approximately 15 months after the incident, denied the accusations during the trial process.
HE SHOWED THE FALL POINT ON THE ROCKS
During the trial process, an on-site inspection was carried out, and the defendant Erdal Necip Sözer showed the fall point on the rocks and described what happened on the day of the incident. During the inspection, the judge and the expert committee examined the area.
AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT BECAME FINAL
On January 3, 2025, the Yalova 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced Erdal Necip Sözer to aggravated life imprisonment. Following the decision of the Bursa Regional Court of Justice dated May 8, 2025, the file was taken to the Court of Cassation for appellate review.
The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, which examined the file, upheld the judgment in a corrected form by also adding the phrase 'against a woman' within the scope of Article 82/1-f of the Turkish Criminal Code. In the file, which was evaluated within the scope of premeditated intentional killing of a spouse and against a woman, the defendant's request for a good conduct reduction was also not accepted.
With the Court of Cassation's unanimous decision, the aggravated life imprisonment sentence given to Erdal Necip Sözer became final.
Semiha Sözer, who was registered in the population of Hamzalı Neighborhood of Orhangazi district of Bursa, was buried here after her death.