On Friday, the 4th of October, in the Fatih district of Istanbul, two young women were brutally murdered. Both the culprit, Semih Çelik, and the victims, İkbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil, were 19 years old. Çelik first killed Halil in his domicile in Eyüpsultan, then attacked Uzuner on top of the historical Edirnekapı City Walls. He later proceeded to commit suicide.
More information about the tragic situation and the relationship between the parties was revealed by statements given to officials by Çelik’s father, Adem Çelik, and Uzuner’s father, Hasan Uzuner.
What Was Semih Çelik Like?
According to Adem Çelik’s statement, his son had Islamic values up until the age of 16: “He used to pray. He even told me, ‘Why aren’t you praying? You’ll burn in hell.’”
Father Adem Çelik also mentions that when his son was in the 11th grade, his school counselor called his mother, telling her Çelik should stay away from another student.
As Adem Çelik states, his son was constantly occupied with his computer. Whenever another family member entered his room, he would immediately shut it off in a state of panic.
Adem Çelik recalls how his son dropped out of school: “Later, he told us that he wouldn’t continue studying. When I asked him, ‘Why do you think that way?’ he would say, ‘Even if I study and become an important man or a scientist, what difference will it make?’ We told him to continue studying while out of school. He finished high school through open education."
Adem Çelik then refers to the instance when, on March 1st, 2022, İkbal Uzuner’s mother called Çelik’s mother, saying, “Your son brainwashed my daughter. Apparently, they’re going to commit suicide together.” He states that on the evening of that day, his son attempted suicide at a football field. Çelik then gave a statement at the children's police department, received treatment at Bakırköy Sadi Konuk Hospital, and was referred to Istanbul University Çapa Medical Faculty, where he stayed for three weeks, after which he continued his treatment follow-ups. Father Adem Çelik mentions that a doctor at the faculty prescribed psychiatric medication, but his son did not take it.
Adem Çelik says that his son separated from İkbal Uzuner after his suicide attempt and later got into butchery, starting to work in the field, but quit his last job around nine months ago. He also notes that his son had some gold savings and met his needs by selling them, and that he had been using drugs for the past two years. He then adds that while his son would occasionally bring home alcohol, he hadn’t used drugs “for the last three months” as he couldn’t afford them.
Father Çelik recalls a conversation he had with his son during the winter of 2023 surrounding the theme of suicide, where he told him that it was a sin, but his son would constantly state how meaningless life is.
He also mentions that about a year ago, he saw some disturbing drawings in his room: “When I entered Semih’s room, I saw certain charcoal drawings on the wall that he had made himself, which were quite frightening. They resembled the devil. Whenever we asked him what they were, he would say, ‘You wouldn’t understand, our way of thinking is too different,’ without elaborating any further.”
What Does İkbal Uzuner’s Father Say?
According to one of the victims, İkbal Uzuner’s father’s official statement, “his daughter had been in a relationship with Semih Çelik for a while, but Çelik had later started harassing his daughter, which greatly affected her psychological well-being."
Father Uzuner explains that his daughter had to change schools due to the harassment: “My daughter was attending high school in Fatih, where she met Semih Çelik. In the first half of grade 11, Semih began bothering my daughter. After this continued for a long time, I changed her school.” He then adds, “My daughter was friends with Semih for a while, but her mental health kept deteriorating due to the persisting harassment, so I sent her to a psychologist. She later asked me for a cat, so I got her one, and while taking care of the cat, her mental state improved.”
Uzuner also mentions the instance where Semih Çelik’s mother had contacted them: “For the past year and a half, she had been doing well; her mental state had improved a lot. Our relationship with her was also good. When Semih Çelik’s mother called us and said, ‘My son has a new girlfriend, and they’re very happy, so he will no longer bother your daughter,’ we were even more relieved. My daughter hadn’t been in touch with Semih for the past year and a half.”
What Took Place the Day of the Murder?
So, what happened on the day of the murder, according to the statements?
Semih Çelik’s father, Adem Çelik, states that around a year ago, his son had started going out with Ayşenur Halil, who used to come over to their house every Monday so that they could meet up both at home and outside.
He explains that shortly before the incident, his daughter had been accepted to a university in Ankara, and his wife, daughter, and son had gone to Ankara, but his son later returned to Istanbul, and it was just him and his son at home. Father Çelik says that on the day of the incident, during their last phone call, his son warned him not to come home since Ayşenur was there.
He also mentions that on the day of the incident, his wife had made a video call to their son, and according to what she stated, she spoke with both their son and Halil.
He states that later in the day, his wife called him, saying that the police were at the house and that he should come home right away. When he arrived, he learned about what had happened from the police.
İkbal Uzuner’s father, Hasan Uzuner, also described what happened on the day of the murders:
“On the day of the incident, my wife called my daughter, but a man answered the phone. He told her, ‘Don’t worry, your daughter is in safe hands.’ When my wife called again, another man answered and said the phone had fallen off the Edirnekapı City Walls. He gave my wife directions so that she could come and pick up the phone. I then called my daughter’s phone, and the man who answered told me he would only hand over the phone to her mother. At the time, I was in the hospital with my father, so I left him there, and my wife and I went to pick up our daughter’s phone. A homeless person had found the phone and said that it had fallen from the Edirnekapı City Walls. We thought that maybe our daughter was on top of the wall, so we intended to climb up, but we couldn’t because there were fences.
After we went down, we saw a large group of people looking at the city walls. As we were walking toward them, thinking maybe our daughter was among the crowd, I saw my daughter’s head on the ground.”
It was revealed that around half an hour prior to Uzuner’s killing, Çelik had murdered Halil in his home located in Eyüpsultan, and only after brutally killing Ayşenur by slashing her throat, did Çelik go to his second victim, Uzuner. He stabbed Uzuner, cut off her head, threw it off the city walls, and dismembered her body.
The nineteen-year-old attacker then committed suicide by jumping off the Edirnekapı City Walls.
The two women’s funeral ceremonies were held separately on Saturday. Ayşenur Halil’s funeral in Gaziosmanpaşa was attended by Istanbul Deputy Governor Hasan Gözen and Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen. İkbal Uzuner’s funeral was held at the Fatih Mosque, and Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergün Turan attended the ceremony.
Police teams implemented extensive security measures at both funeral ceremonies. Semih Çelik’s funeral prayer was canceled due to security concerns.
Çelik’s Video and Drawings Were Discovered
After the incident, a video recording was released that was claimed to have been filmed a year ago. In the video, Çelik is seen addressing Uzuner. The video begins with the words, “İkbal, I wanted to say goodbye to you specially. I’m finally dying.”
Çelik, after apologizing for what he had put her through, says, “But there is something I need to tell you. When I came to see you yesterday, it was to kill you. I want to take away a life before I die, and it was more important to me that the life I took was yours, to gouge out your heart, your eyes...” He then mentions that he changed his mind.
Some photos showing Çelik’s room were also published. The photos reveal a shelf with books, a desk, a painting, and various toys. In one photo, a notebook on the desk shows a drawing of a dismembered human body, said to resemble the way Uzuner was murdered.
Turkish Women Continue to Protest
Protests by women against gender terrorism continue in Türkiye following the gruesome murders of İkbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil. After several demonstrations and press statements in various cities across the country over the
weekend, women also began voicing their dissent in educational institutions. Students at many universities, such as Istanbul University, Boğaziçi, Yıldız Technical, and Medipol University, protested against the increasing rates of femicide and gender violence.
The “Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu” (We Will Stop Femicides Platform) reacted to the murders in a statement on X, saying:
“A man can kill two women in the middle of Istanbul within half an hour. These frequent reports of femicide are no coincidence; they are the result of impunity policies. We will follow up on this case. If any official has neglected their duty, they will be held accountable for the murdered women.”
At Medipol University, where Ayşenur Halil was a student, students held a protest demonstration in memory of both victims. Academics and administrative staff also joined the memorial demonstration at the university. The students carried banners reading, “We are here for all the women who couldn’t make their voices heard,” “We want to live,” “Keep your anger alive, hold your head high,” “You, me, we are each other’s solution,” “Stop the violence, not the women,” “We will not surrender to fear,” “Do not touch women and children,” and most notably “Istanbul Convention Saves Lives.”
Women across the country are drawing attention to the government’s inaction regarding the growing issue of gender terrorism in Türkiye. Protesters are calling on the authorities to take action to halt the rapidly increasing number of femicides and demand justice for all the victims, highlighting the faulty legal system’s lack of deterrent punishments implemented against violence toward women. They call attention to the crucial role of the Istanbul Convention – which Türkiye officially withdrew from in March 2021 – in the protection of women and the prevention of violence against them.
See: "The Importance of the Istanbul Convention" https://www.theistanbulchronicle.com/post/the-importance-of-the-istanbul-convention
