Her bones were found months later! Disabled Nihal Babayiğit's murderer confessed in court

Nihal Babayiğit, who is hearing impaired and lives in the Serik district of Antalya, met Mehmet Basık, who is hearing impaired and lives in Batman, on social media in 2022 and disappeared after a while. Her father Vedat Babayiğit, who was looking for Nihal Babayiğit at the time, and his wife Derya Yılmaz, from whom he had been estranged for a while, learned that their daughter had started living with Mehmet Basık in Batman through a religious marriage approximately 2 months after her disappearance. Nihal Babayiğit, who gave birth to a child in 2023, and Mehmet Basık had a disagreement. Babayiğit left her baby in Batman 15 days after giving birth and returned to her family in Serik.

Mehmet Basık came to Serik and met with Nihal Babayiğit in October 2023. No news was received from Babayiğit after this date.

While the family was searching for Nihal Babayiğit, people who reached out to her uncle Ali Yılmaz on May 1st last year and who were found to be acquaintances of Mehmet Basık sent various photos and videos. It was determined that Basık shared a photo of Nihal Babayiğit lying motionless on the ground with traces of blood on her neck to the person he was video chatting with on his mobile phone. The same video also included moments when Mehmet Basık showed Babayiğit's ID and mobile phone. The family stated that they were worried about Nihal Babayiğit's life after these videos and photos and contacted the police. In the investigation, Serik Police Department security teams detained Mehmet Basık in Batman on May 2nd. Basık was arrested after the procedures.

BONES FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

While the investigation into the incident continues, Başak G., who is hearing impaired and who was reported to be living with murder suspect Mehmet Basık in a religious marriage, was detained by the police in Batman upon the instructions of the Serik Public Prosecutor's Office. Brought to Serik and referred to the courthouse on charges of "inciting to commit premeditated murder", Başak G. was released on condition of judicial control. Following the request of the public prosecutor to bring suspect Mehmet Basık from prison, bones were found in a search conducted among the trees on the side of the road in the Eminceler location on the Serik-Belek road. Following examinations conducted at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute, it was determined that the bones belonged to Nihal Babayiğit.

AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT REQUESTED

In the indictment prepared regarding the incident, it was stated that the defendant Mehmet Basık came to Serik and met with Nihal Babayiğit on the roadside in Eminceler Neighborhood, and that he killed the woman with a knife he brought with him after an argument, and a sentence of aggravated life imprisonment was requested for the crime of "premeditated murder of a woman"; and a sentence of 15 to 20 years was requested for the other defendant Başak G. for the crime of "aiding in the premeditated murder of a woman".

'WE MET IN A CAFÉ'

The final hearing of the case held at the Manavgat 3rd High Criminal Court was attended by the defendant Mehmet Basık, relatives of the murdered Nihal Babayiğit and lawyers of the parties. In his statement given for the first time through sign language expert Guddusi Aydın, defendant Mehmet Basık explained that he had an argument with Nihal Babayiğit before the incident and that he had blocked her on his phone afterwards. The defendant Basık, who stated that Nihal had told him through a mutual friend that she wanted to meet him and that was why she came to Serik from Kırşehir, said, "I met with Nihal at a cafe. We were drinking tea. At that time, I opened the video call with Başak G. Thereupon, Nihal got angry with me. She opened her own phone and showed Başak my naked photos. Thereupon, I took the phone from her hand and put it in my pocket. Başak G. and Nihal argued during the video call. I got up to leave, went to the cashier and paid the fee. Nihal insulted me, came after me and attacked me, stabbed my leg with a teaspoon. When I took the teaspoon from her hand, she started to run away."

'I PUT THE TEASPOON INTO HIS THROAT'

Basık, who claimed that there was a police station near the scene of these incidents and therefore he did not do anything there, said, "I went after her, caught her and we continued to argue. I took the teaspoon from her hand and stuck it in her throat. At this time, the video call on the social media application on my mobile phone was open. I wanted to take Nihal to the hospital, Başak G. told me, 'Never mind, don't take her to the doctor, nothing will happen.' At this time, Başak G. recorded the footage and sent it to our friend in Istanbul and it spread on social media. Başak G. is the one responsible for me committing this crime."

HE CONFESSED

In response to the presiding judge's question, "Are you confessing?", defendant Mehmet Basık said, "Yes, I confess. I was afraid because the people in the cell where I was held in prison told me, 'Don't tell the truth, you will get a lot of punishment', so I gave a different statement." When asked for his final words, the defendant stated that he was very sorry and regretful.

The defendant's lawyer, Hamid Yalçın, argued that there were deficiencies in the file and requested his client's release and acquittal. During the hearing, Nihal Babayiğit's relatives stated that their daughter was buried at a young age because of the defendant and requested that she be punished in the most severe way.

DECISION IN JUNE

The court panel decided to continue the detention of the defendant Mehmet Basık, and stated that one of the member judges was on marriage leave and therefore the judge appointed in his place could not examine the file, and adjourned the hearing to June 11 for a full examination of the file. The chief judge said that no words would be given to the parties at the hearing on June 11, and that only the decision regarding the case would be read.

Following the hearing, Nihal Babayiğit's mother Derya Yılmaz, grandmother Akgül Yılmaz and lawyer Yağmur Burçin Sayın from the Children and Women First Association made a statement. Lawyer Sayın stated that the hearings were completed and the verdict would be read on June 11, and invited everyone who is sensitive about violence against women to support them on the day of the verdict.

Derya Yılmaz and Akgül Yılmaz stated that the defendant was lying and that they wanted him to be punished in the most severe way and receive an aggravated prison sentence.

Source: DHA