Man robs Istanbul bank, scatters money from top-floor balcony

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

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A man scattered money bills worth 30,000 Turkish Liras from a top-floor balcony after staging an armed robbery on a bank in Istanbul’s Kumkapı neighborhood on April 27.  

The robbery took place in the afternoon as the man, identified as Semih Bulut, entered the bank located on the Çiftegelinler Street of the Kumkapı neighborhood with a pump action rifle. 

Bulut stole 30,000 liras from the bank vaults before fleeing to the top floor of the bank’s building upon seeing police teams arriving at the scene.

He then fired rifle shots into the air as he scattered bills onto the street below from the balcony. 


Police teams took security measures on the street and sent a “reconciliatory officer” to the scene to negotiate with the burglar. After four hours of negotiations, Bulut surrendered himself to police.

According to claims by locals, the building where the incident took place was sold to the bank by Bulut’s father Cuma Bulut around four years ago. Believing that the sale was unjust, the elder Bulut had allegedly attempted to rob the same bank previously. 

After surrendering, Bulut was taken to a police station for questioning and local police officers picked up the bills he had scattered around on the street.