Driver allegedly threatens family of florist killed in car crash

Aziz Özen - ISTANBUL

DHA photo

The family of Mehmet Emin Kaya, a street florist who was killed in a tragic traffic accident, has complained to the police after receiving threats from the family of Murathan Öztürk, the driver who crashed into Kaya and is now on the run. 

On the July 11, Öztürk, 19, a university student in the Law Faculty of a private university, hit the florist Kaya, 34, with his luxury car in Istanbul’s high-end Bağdat Street. Eyewitnesses say Öztürk was exceeding the speed limit when the accident occurred. 

Öztürk has since gone AWOL, but his family is accused of threatening the Kaya family via social media. After the incident, the Öztürk family reportedly proposed to give “blood money” to the Kaya family to hush up the issue. When the Kaya family refused to accept this money, Öztürk’s sister allegedly threatened the 13-year-old daughter of Kaya family. In a post on the social media account apparently used by Öztürk’s sister, she wrote “Murathan drove over Mehmet. Next time he will drive over you.” 

After receiving a number of other threats, the Kaya family has gone to the police.

İlknur Tunç, the Kayas’ lawyer, said in a statement that they want Öztürk to be found and judged “immediately.” 

“We have sued his family for aiding and abetting. But due to the judicial recess the prosecutor who led the investigation changed, so the process will now have to start all over again. The last petition I gave to the prosecutor included a ‘Police Crime Scene Newspaper Vehicle Identity Card,’ which was found at the crime scene with Murathan Öztürk’s name on it. But as far as we know he is neither a police officer nor a police reporter. I want to investigate when and why he got this identity card,” Tunç stated. 

However, Öztürk’s father, Mustafa Öztürk, issued a counter-statement. “Those who did not look after Mehmet when he was alive have started to look after him after he died. Right now my son is being treated at a private hospital. I’ll hand him over after his treatment is over,” he said.

Accused of threatening the Kaya family, Mustafa Öztürk and Neslihan Öztürk, Murathan’s sister, have frozen their Twitter accounts.