Main suspect in Konya massacre arrested

KONYA

The main suspect in the murder of seven members of a family last week in the Central Anatolian province of Konya’s Meram district has been arrested.

Mehmet Altun, who has been in hiding for six days, was captured by security forces in a cemetery in the Bozkır district of Konya, with a gun and 18 bullets on him.

He was transferred to Konya for interrogation and then arrested by the court. 

In the wake of the incident, the police detained 14 people, 10 of them, including Altun’s wife, his mother, father and sister, were eventually arrested.

The incident took place on July 30.

Following an argument with members of the Dedeoğulları family, Mehmet Altun pulled out a gun and killed seven members of the family, including women and children. He shot the wounded lying on the ground and tried to burn down the house.

In his first testimony, he said, “I went to their house to reconcile. I had a face mask on and in order to enter the garden, I introduced myself as a municipality worker.”

According to Altun, when he lowered his face mask, the family members recognized him. “They started yelling at me, so I shot them,” he said.

Separately, in another murder case currently being discussed widely across Turkey, a man, already at the heart of a case involving the murder of a woman, has been detained for two femicide in a week in the capital Ankara.

Ümitcan Uygun was interrogated after his girlfriend, Sema Esen, was found dead. Police released him after the interrogation.

But Uygun was detained again after another woman was found dead in her apartment.

The police found that Uygun was the last person Esra Hankul spoke with before her death. He denied any involvement in her death.