Cause of death of woman’s burned body in western Turkey not defined: Autopsy report

MANİSA

DHA photo

The definitive cause of death of a woman whose burned body was found in an olive grove in the western town of Manisa on Feb. 22 could not be defined during the initial autopsy as 90 percent of the body was burned, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The body was identified as belonging to a woman between the ages of 20 and 30, and has been sent to the Istanbul Forensics Department for further investigation into determining the cause of death.
The incident came just 10 days after Turkey was shaken by the death of 20-year-old Özgecan Aslan, who was brutally killed by a bus driver in southern province of Mersin after she resisted a rape attempt.

The owner of a grove in Manisa reportedly found the body of the burnt woman in an unused shanty house on his land at around 11 a.m. on Feb. 22 and called the police, Doğan News Agency reported.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, as police officers collected evidence in the area.

The police have begun to examine the files of those reported missing to determine the woman’s identity.

“Both the identity of the victim and the people who have done this will be found,” vowed Manisa Governor Erdoğan Bektaş, who also pointed the finger at outsiders.

“The incident probably has nothing to do with Manisa. It was probably a passerby. You know that the body was found at the side of a road. Such incidents shouldn’t be experienced in Turkey; they don’t suit our country,” Bektaş added.

Meanwhile, the autopsy report about the death of Özgecan Aslan, who was brutally killed on Feb. 11, has stated that there were no traces of rape but she suffered multiple fatal knife wounds, daily Habertürk has reported. Aslan’s finger nails were also tested for DNA, which tested positive for suspect Suphi Altındöken.

The autopsy report has been sent to Tarsus Public Prosecutor Ayhan Akyol for further investigation. Akyol is expected to present the indictment to the court soon.