Police officers probed for taking selfie with Turkish ‘serial killer’

A police officer from the homicide bureau of the Ankara Security Directorate took a selfie with suspected serial killer Atalay Filiz, drawing reactions among social media users. 

Another police officer from the İzmir homicide bureau shot footage of the selfie moment and shared it on social media. 

“Let’s take a selfie. I congratulate you for managing to avoid detention for three years in this country. I don't know what to say,” the police officer says in the footage.
In addition, it has also been revealed that İzmir homicide bureau chief Vedat Yaylalı also took a selfie with Filiz inside a police vehicle.


The three police officers were relieved of their duties until the investigation was completed.

Meanwhile, another selfie with Filiz taken by a medical worker during a health check also emerged.


Filiz, who was being sought for the murder of three people, including a Russian citizen, was caught on a minibus in İzmir after someone identified him and notified the police

The police had been on high alert for Filiz, who was also sought internationally. 

Previously, Turkish police officers posing with murder suspects in similar incidents drew reactions from the public.

Yakup Kurtaran, who was a fourth-class police officer in the Black Sea province of Samsun, was photographed posing with Ogün Samast, the murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, in 2007 after he was detained and taken to the anti-terror office in Samsun.

Kurtaran and other officers were suspended after the photo was revealed. Initially Kurtaran was docked one day’s pay for his role in the photo, but the penalty was later rescinded by a Samsun court.