Murders of Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner

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Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner (both aged 19) were murdered by Semih Çelik (19) within a half hour of each other on 4 October 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey.[1][2][3][4] The public murder–suicide, during which Çelik threw İkbal Uzuner's severed head off the Walls of Constantinople in front of her mother before committing suicide by jumping, sparked protests about femicide in Turkey.[5][6][7]

Background

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Semih Çelik, a 19-year-old who worked as a butcher,[4] had been treated in a mental hospital five times in 2024 due to psychiatric illnesses. He had been reported missing twice, and had attempted suicide once. He had no prior criminal record. A detailed search of his home uncovered a sketch drawing resembling the dismembered body of İkbal Uzuner. According to a statement by his father, Adem Çelik, his son was Uzuner's classmate and had been receiving treatment in a mental hospital due to his psychiatric problems.[8][9][10]

Incident

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Semih Çelik was alone at home in Eyüpsultan as his sister was out of town for university. He first invited Ayşenur Halil (allegedly his girlfriend) to his house. There, he killed her by cutting off her tongue (allegedly) and decapitating her. He then informed the police that a murder had occurred at his house and fled. Half an hour later, he met İkbal Uzuner in Fatih, took her to the Walls of Constantinople, and killed her there. He then dismembered her body, threw her head off the city walls, where her mum stood, in despair and watched as previously, a bystander called Halil's parents to tell her to pick up her phone from the street as it was left there. He also left her torso and body on top of the walls.[11][12] Afterwards, Çelik committed suicide by wrapping a rope around his neck and jumping from the walls.[13][14][15]

İkbal Uzuner was buried on 5 October 2024 with Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergün Turan in attendance the funeral. On the same day, Ayşenur Halil was buried after the funeral prayer at Pazariçi Sadet Mosque.[16]

Semih Çelik's funeral was cancelled for security reasons and was buried at Kilyos Cemetery with only three people participating. Police investigations at Çelik's home discovered objects and cross symbols associated with Christianity and satanism.[17][18][19]

Aftermath

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The walls of Constantinople, the location of the murder

After the murder, an investigation was launched and statements were taken from the families of Semih, İkbal and Ayşenur. Semih Çelik's mother, Hafize Çelik, stated that her son was sick, and that she took him to the doctors and also warned Uzuner's family about the situation. She told Uzuner's family that they had to go into hiding to prevent her son from harming her. She said that her son and İkbal were going to commit suicide together, but İkbal later changed her mind and she constantly called him after. She added in her statement that Semih had stabbed himself in the heart. She claimed that İkbal's family did not take the necessary precautions.[20]

Semih Çelik's father, Adem stated that his son wanted to kill himself as well.[21] He said that his son's teacher called him during his high school years and told him that his son should stay away from a friend at school. He added that Semih spent a lot of time on his computer he bought for his son, and that when his family entered his room, he panicked and quickly turned it off, as there was many disturbing pictures and notes that were psychotic and immoral.

Adem added that he couldn't find out what he was doing on the computer as his files were encrypted, and that his son did not want to study, and that he graduated from high school externally. Çelik's mother also said that her son encouraged her daughter to commit suicide, and that strange drawings were resembling the devil in his room, and that when she asked about the drawings, her son responded something along the lines of "You wouldn't understand, our mindsets are different," that he was a butcher and used drugs.[22]

It is confirmed that Semih Çelik had started a relationship with Ayşenur Halil, who was identified as a friend from the high school he had dropped out of. Halil had visited Çelik's house, and they had spent time together. Semih called his father on the day of the incident, and said that Ayşenur was in his room and told him that he should not come home. When his father, Adem went home, he found Ayşenur's body, in his bed with her neck bleeding out from the slit that Çelik committed with one of his butchering knives.

Adem Çelik also stated that Çelik asked his father questions about death at home, had imaginary delusions, and kept many knives in his room. He added that he was muslim before he was 16, and questioned many things about the world, including his religion. He left Islam shortly after. He also started to question existentially with the COVID-19 pandemic. His guidance counselor told him that Semih had a talent for programming, so his father Adem Çelik bought him a computer.

It was determined upon examination of Çelik's phone that he had contact with people who identified themselves as Turkish incels. Following the murder, provocative and supportive posts were made by incel groups. Upon this, the chief public prosecutor's offices took action and detained the suspects. Then, on October 9, 2024, Discord was blocked from the 8 million registered Turkish users on the app. They are still banned to this day.[23]

Reactions

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CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, TİP Chairman Erkan Baş, and Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Gülizar Biçer Karaca posted their reactions to the murder on Twitter.[24]

The killings stirred public outrage over violence against women and femicide in the country, with groups organising protests, calling for the reinstatement of the Istanbul Convention and the effective implementation of Law 6284.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ Peters, Daniel (8 October 2024). "Disturbing sketch found in teen killer's bedroom". News.com.au. Sydney, Australia: News Corp Australia.
  2. ^ "İkbal Uzuner ve Ayşenur Halil'i vahşice öldüren Semih Çelik hakkında neler biliniyor? Olay günü neler yaşandı?" [What is known about Semih Çelik, who brutally killed Ikbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil? What happened on the day of the incident?] (in Turkish). BBC. 7 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Turkish police to monitor 'incel' groups after brutal femicides". Istanbul: Gazete Duvar. 10 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b Hacialioglu, Selin. "Turkish criminal law faces scrutiny as a man brutally kills two women". Türkiye Today. Istanbul: İhlas Holding.
  5. ^ "Turkish activists demand end to impunity for crimes against women after brutal murders". Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm Center for Freedom. 8 October 2024.
  6. ^ "İstanbul'daki vahşetin altından çifte cinayet çıktı!" [There's been a double homicide from the violence in Istanbul!] (in Turkish). CNN Türk. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Proteste gegen Femizide in der Türkei" [Protests against femicides in Turkey] (in German). Amsterdam: Firat News Agency. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  8. ^ "İki kadını katleden Semih Çelik, cinayetten önce parçalanmış ceset çizmiş!". BirGün (in Turkish). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Semih Çelik kimdir, Ayşenur Halil ve İkbal Uzuner'in katili Semih Çelik, Son dakika haberi, Son dakika haberleri". Habertürk (in Turkish). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  10. ^ "19-Year-Old Turkish butcher kills two women in 30 minutes at historic city walls". Al Bawaba. Amman, Jordan. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Ayşenur et Ikbal, sauvagement tuées par un homme : le choc et la colère des femmes turques" [Ayzenur and Ikbal, brutally killed by a man: The shock and anger of Turkish women]. Paris Match (in French). 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Turquie: deux féminicides en quelques minutes à Istanbul, le principal suspect se suicide en se jetant des remparts" [Turkey: Two femicides in a few minutes in Istanbul, main suspect commits suicide by throwing himself from city wall]. Le Parisien (in French). 4 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Surlarda dehşet! Yarım saat arayla iki kadını öldürdü, birinin kafasını kesip aşağı attı" [Horror on the walls! He killed two women half an hour apart, cut off one's head and threw it down]. Cumhuriyet (in Turkish). Istanbul. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  14. ^ "İstanbul'da kan donduran olay: İki kadını vahşice öldürüp intihar etti" (in Turkish). Istanbul: NTV. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Turquie: double féminicide à Istanbul, le principal suspect se suicide" [Turkey: Double Femicide in Istanbul, the main suspect commits suicide] (in French). Paris: Le Figaro. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  16. ^ Oksijen, Gazete (10 May 2024). "İkbal ve Ayşenur son yolculuğuna uğurlandı" (in Turkish). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  17. ^ "İki kadını vahşice öldüren Semih Çelik 3 kişi ile defnedildi. Güvenlik gerekçesiyle iptal edildi denilmişti". Yeniçağ Gazetesi (in Turkish). 5 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Katilin evinde çıkan garip nesnelerin anlamı. Kitaplıktaki bir kitap dikkat çekti". Halk TV (in Turkish). 5 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  19. ^ Odatv (6 October 2024). "Katil Semih Çelik cinayetlerden önce fırına uğrayıp 'Üstüm nasıl olmuş, iyi mi' diye sordu, odasından satanist objeler çıktı". Odatv (in Turkish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Katil Semih Çelik'in annesi konuştu: Beraber intihar edeceklerdi İkbal vazgeçti" (in Turkish). Istanbul: NTV. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  21. ^ Şafak, Yeni. "Baba seni nasıl öldüreyim? | Gündem Haberleri". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  22. ^ "SEMİH ÇELİK'İN ANNESİ VE BABASI ifadelerinde ne anlattı? Cani Semih Çelik'in ailesi ne ifade verdi? İşte ev içinde yaşananlar". Milliyet (in Turkish). 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Discord: Neden erişim engeli getirildi, uygulama neden eleştiriliyor?". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  24. ^ "İkbal Uzuner ve Ayşenur Halil'in katledilmesine siyasilerden tepki" (in Turkish). Istanbul: Gazete Duvar. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  25. ^ "LAW TO PROTECT FAMILY AND PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN" (PDF).
  26. ^ "Turkish criminal law faces scrutiny as a man brutally kills two women - Türkiye Today". Retrieved 25 October 2024.