24.05.2026 12:41
Çiğdem Karaca, wife of Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca, who was attacked by a masked suspect with a gun in front of their home in Muğla, recounted seeing a masked and gloved person near their house yesterday. Karaca said, "My husband asked who the person was. He said he was wearing a mask because of a fungal disease. When my husband questioned him, he tried to run away. During the altercation, he tried to aim the gun at my husband's heart. The bullet hit his leg."
Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca was subjected to an armed attack yesterday at around 16:00 on 784th Street in Akarca Neighborhood. Karaca was wounded above the kneecap of his left leg. Upon notification from bystanders, health and police teams were dispatched to the scene. Karaca received initial treatment at the scene and was taken by ambulance to a private hospital for medical care. It was reported that Mayor Karaca's treatment at the hospital is ongoing.
"HE TRIED TO PULL OUT HIS GUN AND AIM AT MY HUSBAND'S HEART" Çiğdem Karaca, wife of Alim Karaca, the mayor of Fethiye district in Muğla who was wounded in the armed attack, spoke about the incident in front of the hospital where her husband is being treated. Çiğdem Karaca stated that yesterday they saw a masked and gloved person around their house, and said, "Today, we went to the police station and reported the situation. After returning home, I went out with my husband and son. At that moment, we spotted the suspect in a vehicle, stopped him, and notified the security forces. My husband asked the suspect who he was and why he was wearing a mask. He said he was wearing a mask because he had a fungal infection on his face. When my husband continued asking questions, he tried to flee. During the ensuing scuffle, the suspect pulled out his gun and tried to aim at my husband's heart. During the struggle, the bullet hit his leg. We experienced a huge shock; we are sad," she said.
"HEALTH CONDITION IS GOOD" Surgeon Dr. Osman Kurtuluş and Orthopedics Specialist Surgeon Dr. Mustafa Eroğlu stated that Mayor Karaca's health condition is good, noting that he was wounded above his left knee, and the bullet damaged the kneecap bone, causing a small fracture. It was reported that Karaca will undergo antibiotic treatment for a few days, and a small operation scheduled for Tuesday will remove the bullet from his leg and address the fracture.
The investigation into the incident continues.
Image of Alim Karaca, wounded in the armed attack, at the hospital 3 SUSPECTS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY Following the incident, police launched an investigation and took a statement from Mayor Karaca's wife, Çiğdem Karaca. In her statement, Çiğdem Karaca stated that on May 22, a male suspect with a hoodie was wandering on their street and waited near their house for a while before leaving, and said, "We saw the same person again on May 23. This time he was masked. We stopped him and asked why he was wearing a mask. An argument broke out between us. When we said, 'We will report you to the police,' he drew a gun and shot my husband in the leg."
Based on Çiğdem Karaca's statement, police identified the suspect as the juvenile delinquent E.T.Ç. Deepening the investigation, police determined that E.T.Ç. came to Fethiye by bus on May 20, conducted reconnaissance at the scene for days, and carried out the incident after encountering Alim Karaca on May 23.
Through reviewing camera footage in the area, police determined that E.T.Ç. took a taxi to Bodrum. It was found that E.T.Ç. was hiding with T.D. at an address in the Koyunbaba neighborhood of Bodrum district. The two suspects were caught in an operation carried out today at around 03:00.
TAXI FARE PAID Teams deepening the investigation also took into custody H.N., who was determined to have paid the fare for the taxi used in the suspects' escape to Bodrum, in the Milas district at around 04:45 on the same day. During a search of the house in Bodrum where the suspects were hiding, 700 grams of skunk and a precision scale were seized. It was reported that efforts to find the weapon believed to have been used in the incident are ongoing.
It was reported that the procedures for the 3 suspects taken into custody are ongoing at the police station.