Eight arrested in school vice principal's murder in Kocaeli

KOCAELİ

Eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of the vice principal of a high school in the northwestern city of Kocaeli, including the perpetrator.

Mahir Çoğaç, 45, was attacked while preparing to leave for work around 9 a.m. on June 26 in the Çayırova district.

According to eyewitnesses, a 17-year-old suspect approached Çoğaç as he was fastening his seatbelt in his car and shot him in the head.

Despite paramedics' efforts and rapid transport to the hospital, Çoğaç succumbed to his injuries.

In response to the incident, Kocaeli police launched a large-scale investigation. Detectives detained 11 suspects, including the shooter, identified as D.G.

Among the suspects aged between 17 and 53, three were released on judicial control conditions.

Media reports said the police believe the murder is linked to a gang known as "Bayğaralar" in the southern city of Adana.

Mahir Çoğaç’s brother, Emin Çoğaç, is reportedly a suspect in the 2020 murder of a Bayğara family member and is currently on the run.

The incident is part of a long-standing feud between the Çoğaç and Bayğara families, which has led to occasional armed clashes.

Ramazan Bayğara, the alleged ringleader of the gang, who was captured in Greece in May, is suspected of ordering the killing of Mahir Çoğaç.

Despite moving to Kocaeli from Adana 18 years ago with his wife to escape the feud, Çoğaç reportedly continued to receive threats from the Bayğara family.

The investigation is ongoing, as authorities work to uncover further details behind the killing.