11.06.2026 11:51
In Antalya, 21-year-old Ayten Merkavul, who was waiting at a bus stop with her 1.5-year-old baby, was attacked by six women with kicks and punches. Merkavul, who was both assaulted and robbed of her wallet by the female attackers, described the horror she experienced, stating that she sacrificed herself to protect her baby. Merkavul said, "The bruises on my body will heal, but no one can heal the trauma my baby has experienced."
Horrifying moments occurred in the Yeşildere neighborhood of Antalya's Muratpaşa district on Aşık Veysel Street during lunch hours a few days ago. Ayten Merkavul (21), sitting on a bench at a bus stop with her 1.5-year-old baby and mother-in-law, was attacked with punches and kicks by six women who got out of a black car with an unknown license plate. While the woman, subjected to the attack by the six unidentified women, called for help from bystanders, one of the assailants recorded the incident with a mobile phone.
THEY SHARED THE FOOTAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
While Ayten Merkavul writhed in pain on the ground after being attacked by her fellow women for minutes, the women involved in the incident fled in the vehicle they arrived in. The moment was captured second by second by a security camera, showing the six individuals getting out of the car and starting to assault the young woman sitting on the bench with her child. After the incident, the young woman went to the police station to file a complaint against the suspects, and a few hours later, mobile phone footage of the assault was shared on an anonymous social media account.
THE YOUNG WOMAN DESCRIBES THE HORROR SHE EXPERIENCED
The young woman, attacked and beaten by six women in front of her little daughter, recounted those horrific moments. She said the women got out of the car and attacked her instantly, leaving her confused about what happened. Merkavul stated, "I usually stay at my grandmother's. That day, my mother-in-law came to pick me up. We were going to send money to my husband in prison and then visit them. We walked toward the main road; me, my baby, and my mother-in-law were waiting at the bus stop. A black car with an unknown license plate came quickly. We were sitting at the stop, my baby was in my arms. They started assaulting me immediately."
THEY BOTH ASSAULTED AND ROBBED HER
The young woman said that as the women began attacking her, she threw herself off the bench out of maternal instinct to protect her baby, adding, "I pulled my hand away from my baby and immediately dropped myself off the bench to avoid harming my baby. There were six of them; they beat me severely on the ground, punching and kicking me. Then they tried to strip me. They took the wallet from my pocket. Inside were some money I was going to send my husband, a few gold pieces, and my ID. They beat me, kept hitting and kicking me while I was exposed. And they livestreamed and shared this on social media, slandering my honor."
"THEY BEAT ME IN FRONT OF MY DAUGHTER"
Ayten Merkavul stated that her little daughter experienced great trauma due to the incident, saying, "I am only 21 years old and the mother of a 1.5-year-old girl. This happened right in front of my daughter. The bruises on my body will heal; that’s not important. No one can undo the trauma my baby experienced. When they ask my daughter, 'What did they do to your mother?', my baby pulls her own hair. They caused immense damage to my child. These people should not walk around freely. I am scared; I cannot go out. I can’t even take my baby out. I want my rights to be defended. I want them to receive the necessary punishment."
"MY FAMILY AND I ARE TERRIFIED"
The young woman said that threats against her and her family have continued since the incident, stating, "These are not normal things. These people are now threatening us, saying things like, 'We’ll put something around the house and file a complaint, or we’ll catch you elsewhere and mow you down this time.' I am under threat and pressure. As far as I know, they were taken into custody yesterday and brought to court today. I hope we hear they have been arrested. Because applying violence to a woman in front of her baby like this is the greatest crime. They did this to me; they shouldn’t walk around freely without punishment. My family is also afraid they might put something around the house. I am even more scared; I hope we win."
THEY WERE RELEASED UNDER JUDICIAL CONTROL
Meanwhile, after Ayten Merkavul went to the police station to file a complaint against the assailants, the Antalya Police Department's Public Order Branch teams initiated an investigation to identify the vehicle and women involved. The vehicle's license plate was identified from security camera footage, and the women determined to be involved in the street assault—A.Ç., S.Ç., A.Ç., N.Ç., R.Ç., and P.D.—were taken into custody the previous evening. After giving statements to the police, the six women were released by the court under judicial control following their procedures.