Well-known Turkish Jewish couple murdered at Istanbul home, two suspects detained

Fırat ALKAÇ - ISTANBUL

A well-known Turkish Jewish couple who created one of the most iconic brands of Turkey have been murdered at their home in Istanbul.

Police found the bodies of Jak Karako, 77, and his wife, Georgia Karako, 69, at their apartment in Istanbul’s Ortaköy neighborhood on Aug. 22.

An Uzbek couple, who were suspected to have stabbed the Karakos, have been detained at midnight after allegedly fled the crime scene following the murder.

Suspects reportedly confessed to murder in their first statement to the police. "When we demanded our salaries that they [the Karako couple] have not been paying for the past two months, they said they would not pay anything, as they deducted the amount from the damage we caused at their house," the 28-year-old suspect and his 27-year-old wife told the police.

A third suspect is apparently still at large but police have given no further details about him or her.



Jak Karako was one of the founders of Ören Bayan, the most famous yarn brand in Turkey. Famous actresses, like Türkan Şoray, have played in the brand’s TV ads. Moiz Dana, the other co-founder, died while travelling to the United States in 2009. The sons of Karako and Dana had taken over the company from their father in the 1990s. The families later sold the company due to financial troubles.