A Turkish soldier is on trial for shooting dead his 35-year-old girlfriend during a jealous row at home.
Dilek Kaya, 35, was allegedly shot and killed during a row with her boyfriend Yusuf Caliskan, 29, in the district of Kayapinar in the south-eastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir on 22nd March 2020.
Prosecutors are calling for life imprisonment for the defendant, who was present at the hearing at Diyarbakir 12th High Criminal Court.
Dilek’s mother and sisters Mutlu and Songul were also at court for the trial.
Yusuf said he was in love with Dilek and that he went to her house for dinner on the night of the incident.
According to the news site Milliyet, he claimed that a jealous row broke out while watching a movie together.
He said: “She started swearing at me. She had a nervous breakdown. When her voice got louder, I waited for her to calm down in case one of the neighbours complained. She went over to the kitchen and threw a glass at me. I grabbed my gun so she wouldn’t hurt herself or me. During the scuffle, the gun went off.
“At first, I thought I shot myself. There was blood all over us. We were both drunk. I sat next to her for a minute. I closed my eyes and opened them again and said ‘this can’t be real’. When I realised that Dilek was shot, I turned the gun on myself and fired.
“I felt blood running down my head. I don’t remember anything else. I have a gun because I am a soldier. We had a relationship for 14 months.
“We argued every now and then, but it was the first time I saw her that angry.”
Yusuf’s defence team called for an acquittal, claiming he had no intention of killing his girlfriend and that it was an accident.
Dilek’s sister Mutlu Kaya, 25, said: “I have been subjected to male violence before. I witnessed a phone call a few weeks before my sister died.
“I heard that the defendant inflicted psychological abuse on her and threatened her life. Dilek was depressed and constantly crying. I demand justice for my sister.”
Ironically, Dilek’s sister, Mutlu, was shot in the head by her boyfriend Veysi Ercan during a jealous row on 18th May 2015 after she made a name for herself at a singing contest.
As a result, Mutlu will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair and lost her ability to sing.
The court decided to keep Yusuf remanded in custody and adjourned the case until June.