18.06.2026 14:30
It has been revealed that Engin Kaya, whom his family had been searching for as missing for 20 years in Istanbul, died in a traffic accident in 2006. The claims that his family was not notified of his death, that his body was buried in a paupers' cemetery, and that Kaya still appears as 'alive' in the population registry have brought a chain of negligence to the forefront. His brother Yıldıray Kaya, who said they could not even reach his brother's grave, called on authorities to clarify the incident.
Engin Kaya, born in 1968 in the Çekmeköy district of Istanbul, was sought as missing by his family for 20 years. While the missing person reports filed by the family remained inconclusive, no trace of Kaya was found during this time. During the absence declaration application made by Engin Kaya's brother, Yıldıray Kaya, in 2026, an unbelievable truth emerged.
HIS CORPSE REMAINED AT THE FORENSIC INSTITUTE FOR 24 DAYS The investigation by the court revealed that Engin Kaya died in a traffic accident in Çekmeköy Madenler on November 3, 2006. Upon retrospective research, it was determined that Kaya stayed in the intensive care unit at Haydarpaşa Numune Hospital for 3 days, and after his death there, his body remained at Bakırköy Forensic Medicine for 24 days.
HE STILL APPEARS ALIVE IN THE CIVIL REGISTRY Yıldıray Kaya, stating that they could not reach the grave of his brother Engin Kaya, who was found to be buried in Kilyos Paupers' Cemetery, and therefore could not change the information that he still appears as "alive" in the civil registry, once again highlighted the extent of the chain of negligence.
Expressing their grievance with the words "Our brother is dead but his place is unknown, maybe 50 people have been buried on top of him, how will we find our grave?" Yıldıray Kaya called on the Ministry of Justice and the relevant authorities to find the grave of his brother Engin Kaya.
IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE DIED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT 20 YEARS AGO Yıldıray Kaya, who discovered during their absence declaration application that his brother Engin Kaya died 20 years ago, described the unbelievable incident with these words:
"An accident occurs on this street in Çekmeköy Madenler, and my brother is taken to the hospital by ambulance. He stays in intensive care at the hospital for 3 days and dies after intensive care. After his death, he is sent to the Forensic Medicine and kept there for 24 days. My brother had his ID on him. At that time, gendarmerie and law enforcement were covering most places on the Asian side. We learn that our brother died 20 years later at the prosecutor's office. Why were we not notified of anything, why did no one reach our home, why did no one call our phone? One and a half years after we filed the absence lawsuit, the judge there told us that our brother had died. He said, 'He died in a traffic accident in Çekmeköy.' He sent us to Numune Hospital. After Numune Hospital, we went to the Forensic Medicine. After going to the Forensic Medicine, we learned that he was buried in Kilyos Paupers' Cemetery.
"THERE IS SUSPICION IN THIS CASE, WE BELIEVE IT WAS A MURDER" Stating that Engin Kaya still appears alive in the civil registry and that this causes many problems in government institutions, Kaya said, 'The documents we have include records from the gendarmerie law enforcement. There is the signature and record of the chief inspector of Üsküdar Police Station; there is also the prosecutor's record. Why has this person not been removed from the registry for 20 years after his death? For 20 years, my brother appears alive in the registry. When we go to government institutions, they tell us, 'Your brother is alive, your brother is living, find him and bring him.' Where will we find our brother? We only find out 20 years later. There is suspicion in this case; we believe this is a murder, and we have applied to the relevant authorities regarding this matter, and we want to pursue it. We had a inherited property. Because the state divided it for us, they say, 'Find your brother and bring him' to transfer it to my brother's name. But since our brother is not there, we cannot find him. It's been 20 years.'
"WHEN A PERSON DIES, AREN'T YOU GIVEN A DEATH CERTIFICATE?" Kaya stated that at the time of the accident, they were not informed that his brother had died, and he was not removed from the civil registry for 20 years, saying:
"We learn that after the accident, an 112 ambulance came. The names of the doctor, nurse, and driver in the ambulance are all in the file. But if these names are in the file, why haven't you found us for 20 years, why haven't you notified us? Why haven't you removed this man from the registry for 20 years? Because there is a suspicious event here; we consider this event a murder. Where were the law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges back then? When a person dies, aren't you given a death certificate? Yes, you are. So why don't you report to the registry that 'Such a person has died,' remove them from the registry, and notify the family? Go find this person's address and tell the family, 'This person has passed away, come and identify.' If a bank is owed 10 lira, they will call your entire lineage 50 times. Can such a thing happen?'
"THEY BURIED HIM IN THE PAUPERS' CEMETERY, BUT WE CAN'T FIND HIS GRAVE" Reacting to the situation, Yıldıray Kaya said that his brother was buried in Kilyos Paupers' Cemetery, but the grave site could not be found because 20 years had passed, describing their grievance as follows:
"We have all the files. Which prosecutor, which gendarmerie commander, which chief inspector, which prosecutor handled it—all their names are in the file. In 2006, my brother disappeared; as a result of the court case, I hear that my brother died 20 years later. Where were you 20 years ago? Was there no law? Was there no state? My brother's grave location is also unknown. He was buried in Kilyos Paupers' Cemetery, but we cannot find the grave either. Because 20 years have passed, it's not maintained; they just put up a sign, and it has rotted away. Who will we visit now? Who will we tell that 'My brother lies here'? My brother is dead, but where he is in the cemetery is unknown; my brother remained unclaimed.'