05.01.2026 14:20
In Eskişehir, the suspect who strangled 30-year-old Deniz Oktay, then poured gasoline on his body and set it on fire, said in court while recounting the horrific incident, "I squeezed Deniz's throat, and when I let go, he was growling. Not on the day of the incident, but the next day, I got scared and went back to the same place, poured gasoline on Deniz's body, and burned it. The next day, I poured gasoline on it again and burned it."
One week after going missing in Eskişehir, on April 22, 2025, police teams conducting a search in the forested area between the Kozkayı and Buldukpınar neighborhoods of the Tepebaşı district encountered the burned body of a woman. Upon examination, it was determined that the woman who died by burning was Deniz Oktay, who had been missing for a week.
THE PERPETRATOR APPEARED IN COURT Idris Gökmen, who strangled Deniz Oktay and then poured gasoline on the body and burned it for two consecutive days, appeared in court for the first time today. In the hearing held at the Eskişehir 7th Heavy Penal Court, the detained defendant Idris Gökmen was present along with Deniz Oktay's relatives and five witnesses.
"I POURED GASOLINE ON DENIZ'S BODY AND BURNED IT, I DID IT AGAIN THE NEXT DAY" In his statement at the court, the defendant Idris Gökmen said, "I was working in the Parks and Gardens of the Tepebaşı Municipality. I had a relationship with Deniz's sister Elvan. I was in a relationship with Deniz for 2 months. During Ramadan, Deniz wanted to go out, and I said I didn't have a driver's license. Deniz said, 'If you have a friend with a driver's license, call him.' Hamdi, Deniz, and I went to a barbecue at night. I had fallen asleep in the car. When I woke up, Deniz was not in the car. I saw Hamdi and Deniz having sexual intercourse in Hamdi's car. There was no argument between us. I just said, 'What are you doing?' Deniz replied, 'I went to get cigarettes.' I said, 'I bought 5-6 packs, there were cigarettes in your bag.' Then I dropped Deniz off at home. I didn't call Deniz for a week or 10 days. On the day of the incident, around 5-6 in the evening, Elvan called me and wanted to meet. She said, 'I'm near the bridge in Yeşiltepe neighborhood.' We met with Elvan and drank alcohol. I later learned that Hamdi and Deniz were drinking alcohol on the other side of the park. Then I dropped Elvan off at home late at night. Deniz wanted to go out, but I didn't agree. When she insisted, I picked her up late at night in front of my house. Deniz said, 'Let's go to the village.' I said, 'It's rainy, let's not go.' We went to Buldukpınar. I lost control of the vehicle here. I called Özgür Çakmak for help. Özgür rescued my vehicle. Then Deniz said, 'Let's go to the upper side of the village.' We went to the water reservoir and sat there. While sitting in the car, around 2-3 at night, she started to attack me and curse heavily. I held Deniz's hand and pushed her out of the car. Then Deniz got back in the car and attacked me again. I was in the driver's seat, and she was in the passenger seat. Then I got out, and the struggle continued outside. I also strangled Deniz. I don't remember how long I squeezed. When I released Deniz's throat, she was gasping. The car was low on gas. I had bought a small amount of gasoline before going up. There was always gasoline in the vehicle. I don't remember if I bought it before picking Deniz up or before going to the village. During the struggle, she had taken the gasoline from the back seat to her side. She wanted to pour gasoline on me. I pulled back, and the gasoline spilled on the ground. I realized Deniz had taken the gasoline from the smell. Not on the day of the incident, but the next day, I went back to the same place, poured gasoline on Deniz's body, and burned it. The next day, I poured gasoline on it again and burned it. I do not accept the statement of witness Hamdi. I never texted Deniz. I do not know witness Yusuf Islam. Witness Emine Dumanoğlu called Yusuf Islam to her house; there were two other men. It is not true that I tried to give Deniz to an old man for money in marriage. Süleyman Budak is my friend, but I did not attempt to marry him to Deniz. I regret it," he said.
"DENIZ CALLED IDRIS 'UNCLE'" Deniz's sister Elvan Oktay, who spoke in court, said, "I have known Idris for 5-6 years. Recently, we were like friends. Deniz called Idris 'uncle uncle.' On April 11, I did not call the defendant Idris. In January, I went to the hairdresser in Yeşiltepe neighborhood. Idris called me, and when I finished my work, I called Idris. We sat in a park in Yeşiltepe, eating sunflower seeds and drinking coffee. When I learned that my brother Deniz was missing, I said, 'I will go to the police station.' Idris said, 'Let's go together, I will come too.' Deniz was staying at Emine's house. I am filing a complaint," she said.
"DENIZ CALLED TO THE CAR SAYING WE WOULD SMOKE" Deniz Oktay's housemate, witness Emine Dumanoğlu (50), said, "I do not know Idris; I have been living with Deniz in the same house since 2017. I work as a worker in a restaurant. Deniz also worked at the restaurant where I work for 2-3 months and then quit. At the time of the incident, she had just quit her job. She called me and said, 'I will go out; I will go to a picnic with Hamdi.' Around 12:30, she came back from the barbecue with Hamdi. She stayed for about 15 minutes, then called Idris, saying, 'Come to the car; we will smoke.' The phone was on speaker; she said, 'Come to the car; we will smoke.' Deniz had actually had a fight with someone. When Idris called, she was indecisive about whether to go out or not. She said, 'Should I go, sister?' I told her not to go, but she didn't listen and went. She left the house at night, taking the house keys and phone but not her ID. Idris would come to the house from time to time; I saw him come to the house 5-6 times. Hamdi would not come. I do not know the defendant Idris; according to what Deniz said, he was her sister's ex-fiancé," she explained.
WITNESS: WE HAD SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH DENIZ Witness Hamdi Özcan stated, "The defendant is my friend, and I know the victim through Idris. Şaban, Yavuz, Soner, İsmail Gökmen, Deniz, and I had a barbecue at İsmail Gökmen's place. Soner and İsmail came from Buldukpınar. We three separated. I dropped Deniz off at her house. When I got home, Deniz called and said, 'Idris called; should I go out?' I said, 'It's up to you.' She asked, 'Will you come too?' I said okay, and I went to Deniz's house after picking up Şaban and Yavuz. But no one was there. Then I looked for Deniz in the Sakintepe area but couldn't find her, so I went to bed. Deniz told me that Idris was shouting. During Ramadan, Idris, Deniz, and I went to a barbecue. I was sleeping in my own car. Idris and Deniz were in their own cars. Later, Deniz knocked on the window and said, 'Can we sit?' I said, 'Come.' We chatted, and we had sexual relations. Idris did not come to my vehicle. Even though I said I did not talk on the phone in this statement, as I said in my first statement, Deniz called me; I could hear her voice, but I did not answer.
I heard Deniz say, 'Where are you taking me, take me home.' Idris and Deniz were not lovers, but they would hang out every evening," he said.
"I SAID THE WOMAN NEXT TO HIM WAS MISSING, SHE SHOULD ALMOST SHOW UP" Witness Özgür Çakmak (43), who rescued the vehicle of the defendant Idris Gökmen from where it got stuck, said, "I work as a guard in Avlamış village, around 2-3 AM Idris called me and said his vehicle was stuck. He told me its location. I told him to call someone from that village. The defendant said, 'Who should I call?' I went with a tractor, there was a woman in the car. I got the vehicle out from where it was stuck. We made it to the asphalt. It continued behind me until Buldukapan, then stopped somewhere. They asked me if a woman named Hamdi, İsmail, Soner was missing. I told them to ask Idris. They also said that Idris did not answer his phone. I called, he didn't answer, I texted him to call me. I said, 'The woman next to him is missing, she should almost show up.' The defendant said, 'That woman next to me is not Deniz.'
LAWYERS REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION FOR PROSTITUTION Relatives of Deniz Oktay expressed that they filed a complaint against the defendant. The Eskişehir Bar Association Women's Rights Commission requested an investigation for prostitution against the defendant. The court ruled to continue the detention of the defendant Idris Gökmen, to include officials from the Ministry of Family and Social Services in the hearing, while postponing the case to March 9, 2026, to complete the missing aspects in the file.