30.06.2026 18:11
In Ankara, a person claimed to be a drug addict raided a gas station. After the station owner refused to take him to the city center, the attacker damaged the owner's vehicle with a knife and rammed it with a tractor, then held a knife to the throat of another neighbor. The moments were captured on security camera, while the station owner's son stated they feared for their safety and would continue their legal struggle.
L.A. (33), a drug addict from Haymana district of Ankara, stormed the fuel station in Durupınar Neighborhood owned by Hasan Sönmez (61).
HE HELD A KNIFE TO HIS NEIGHBOR'S THROAT
Unable to see Sönmez inside, L.A. damaged Sönmez's vehicle with a knife. He then saw Sönmez chatting with someone a few meters away from the shop. L.A. pressed the knife against the throat of Sönmez's neighbor and demanded that Sönmez take him to the city center. Suspicious of the attacker's aggressive behavior, Sönmez pretended to accept L.A.'s offer to save his neighbor and buy time, saying he needed to get his car keys from inside. Taking advantage of the attacker's semi-conscious state, Sönmez reported the situation to the gendarmerie. Sönmez also informed A.A., the neighborhood headman and a relative of L.A., telling him he needed help and would come to him. Managing to bring the still-delayed L.A. to the headman's location, Sönmez escaped the incident unharmed thanks to the headman taking the knife from the attacker and the gendarmerie's intervention.
RELEASED, HE HIT HIS CAR WITH A TRACTOR AND FLED
L.A., against whom no legal action could be taken because the headman allegedly hid the knife used in the incident, was taken home by the authorities. Enraged at Sönmez for reporting him, L.A. returned to the fuel station a few hours later with his father's tractor. The attacker hit Sönmez's car with the tractor and then fled. It was learned that L.A., detained following the victims' complaint, was released after two days in custody. Gökhan Sönmez, the station owner's son, stated that they suffered 420,000 lira in damages. Expressing concerns for their safety, he said they would continue their legal fight.
"THE ATTACKER THREATENED, 'TAKE ME TO ANKARA OR I WILL KILL YOU'"
Speaking about the incident, victim Gökhan Sönmez said: "They said the attacker was a substance addict. From the moment he left his house on the day of the incident, he tried to jump in front of vehicles. Then he repeatedly knocked on the door of the woman living in the house opposite our fuel station. Later, he came to our station. When he couldn't see my father, he damaged our car with the knife he had. When he saw my father, he went to him and held a knife to the customer's throat. My father intervened. The attacker threatened, 'Take me to Ankara or I will kill you.' While my father went to get his car keys, he called the gendarmerie for help. When the gendarmerie told him to move away, my father closed his shop and tried to distance himself from the attacker. Seeing my father leave, he then slashed the car's tire with the knife."
"I HAD TO CONSTANTLY WATCH MY FATHER THROUGH THE CAMERA"
Expressing their unease, Sönmez said, "When my father went to ask the headman for help, this person followed him. The headman took the knife from the attacker. The gendarmerie came, but the headman did not surrender the knife. For this reason, no action was taken, and the authorities left the attacker at his home. About 2 hours later, the same person came to our station again with their tractor and hit our car, causing damage. We incurred 420,000 lira in expenses. Beyond that, our safety is at risk. We are worried. I had to constantly watch my father through the camera. The village residents also complain about this person. He constantly causes trouble around. We ask the authorities to intervene quickly in this matter."
"WE DO NOT WANT THIS PERSON WANDERING AROUND LIKE THIS"
Stating that they cannot understand why the attacker was released, Sönmez said, "After he damaged our car, we filed another complaint. He was kept in custody for 2 days and then released. We don't know why he was released. We were only told that we would be called for a statement. We do not want this person wandering around outside like this. We had no feud with him. We had no connection with him either."