Murder of Ahmet Yıldız

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = Murder of Ahmet Yıldız

| image = File:Helsinki Pride 2015 LGBT1229 (19202914150).jpg

| caption = A marcher with Marching for Those Who Can't holding up a sign in memory of Ahmet Yıldız in the 2015 Helsinki Pride

| location = Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey

| date = {{start date and age|df=yes|2008|07|15}}

| coordinates =

| time =

| type = Murder by shooting, hate crime, filicide, honor killing

| weapon =

| victim =

| fatalities = Ahmet Yıldız, aged 26

| injuries = Ümmühan Daraca

| perpetrator =

| motive = Homophobia

| inquiries =

| accused = Yahya Yıldız

| convictions =

| verdict =

| charges = Murder

}}

The murder of Ahmet Yıldız occurred on 15 July 2008 in Üsküdar, Istanbul.{{cite web | url = http://bianet.org/bianet/toplumsal-cinsiyet/108414-lgbtt-dernekleri-ogrenci-yildiz-escinsel-oldugu-icin-olduruldu | title = LGBTT Dernekleri: Öğrenci Yıldız Eşcinsel Olduğu İçin Öldürüldü | access-date = 10 February 2012 | last = Çakır | first = Bawer | date = 18 July 2008 | publisher = Bianet | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150925235700/http://bianet.org/bianet/toplumsal-cinsiyet/108414-lgbtt-dernekleri-ogrenci-yildiz-escinsel-oldugu-icin-olduruldu | archive-date = 25 September 2015}} The anti-LGBT hate crime was committed as an honour killing by his father Yahya Yıldız,{{cite web | url = http://www.birgun.net/actuel_2011_index.php?news_code=1300286183&year=2011&month=03&day=16 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130502045841/http://www.birgun.net/actuel_2011_index.php?news_code=1300286183&year=2011&month=03&day=16 | archive-date = 2 May 2013 | title = Ahmet Yıldız davasında baba hâlâ kayıp | access-date = 10 February 2012 | date = 16 March 2011 | publisher = Birgün | url-status = dead}} in what has been widely referred to as the first known case of an anti-gay honour killing in Turkey.{{cite web | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/was-ahmet-yildiz-the-victim-of-turkeys-first-gay-honour-killing-871822.html | title = Was Ahmet Yildiz the victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing? | access-date = 10 February 2012 | last = Black | first = Jeff | date = 19 July 2008 | publisher = Independent | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151006195925/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/was-ahmet-yildiz-the-victim-of-turkeys-first-gay-honour-killing-871822.html | archive-date = 6 October 2015}} To date, Yahya Yıldız has become a fugitive and has yet to be captured and put on trial.

Murder

Marmara University Physics Department student{{cite web | url = http://www.kaosgl.com/sayfa.php?id=1881 | title = Yalan söylememiş maske takmamıştı | access-date = 10 February 2012 | date = 21 July 2008 | publisher = Kaos GL | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150910130609/http://www.kaosgl.com/sayfa.php?id=1881 | archive-date = 10 September 2015}} Ahmet Yıldız filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor about a year before his murder that he had received threats from his family.{{cite web | url = http://banuguven.com/ahmet-yildiz%E2%80%99in-dunyasi/ | title = Ahmet Yıldız'ın dünyası | access-date = 10 February 2012 | last = Güven | first = Banu | date = 27 January 201 | publisher = Banuguven.com | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130315213253/http://banuguven.com/ahmet-yildiz%E2%80%99in-dunyasi/ | archive-date = 15 March 2013 | url-status = dead }} On the night of 15 July 2008, Yıldız, who had gone to a cafe, faced an attacker following which he tried to get out of his car and escape. He was shot three times in the chest and eventually died from his injuries. Out of the five bullets that were shot, one injured the AK Parti's nominee for parliament Ümmühan Daraca.{{cite web | url = http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=9454604&tarih=2008-07-17 | title = Kurşunlardan 3'ü göğsüne saplandı | access-date = 10 February 2012 | last = Öz | first = Selamet | date = 17 July 2008 | publisher = Hürriyet | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150701033730/http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=9454604&tarih=2008-07-17 | archive-date = 1 July 2015}}[http://www.swr.de/international/tr/-/id=233354/nid=233354/did=6203194/1exngr1/index.html/ Eşcinsel'e ilk namus cinayeti] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524000844/http://www.swr.de/international/tr/-/id%3D233354/nid%3D233354/did%3D6203194/1exngr1/index.html |date=2014-05-24 }} SWR. Retrieved 10 April 2010. Commenting after the incident, Yıldız's cousin Ahmet Kaya said, "Yıldız was the only son of an extremely religious and wealthy Kurdish family in Şanlıurfa". Lambda Istanbul's human rights lawyer Fırat Söyle, who had previously served as a consultant to Yıldız, said that three months before the murder, Yıldız filed a complaint with the district attorney's office after receiving death threats from his family, but the prosecutor's office refused to initiate an investigation or provide protection to Yıldız. Yıldız's murder was given wide coverage in the local and foreign press. British newspaper The Independent also covered the issue and stated that cases of honour killing were not limited to Turkey.[http://www.milliyet.com.tr/default.aspx?aType=SonDakika&ArticleID=968886/ Independent: Ahmet Yıldız ilk eşcinsel namus cinayeti kurbanı mı?] Hürriyet. Retrieved 30 April 2010.

Investigation and trial

The trial for Ahmet Yıldız's murder began on 8 September 2009 and continued with the trial of Yahya Yıldız as a fugitive defendant. İbrahim Can, with whom Yıldız lived after he left his family, said about the incident: "I have seen the support of many organizations to fight for my lover. Ms. Ümmühan, who was injured in the incident, also helped us by opening the case. I thank her. It is surprising that the murderers of my darling Ahmet Yıldız have not been caught. Together we went to the prosecutor's office and reported that his family had been making death threats. I think we're experiencing gay discrimination. That wouldn't be the case if my lover was a woman. But that's my choice, and it's nobody's business." The case is postponed to a later date for the collection of evidence.[http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&ArticleID=953532&Date=08.09.2009&CategoryID=77/ İlk gay namus cinayetinin davası başladı] Radikal. Retrieved 14 June 2010. After the 6th hearing, Can stated that he would start the ECtHR process, and stated: "Murderers are not coming out. An international arrest warrant has not yet been issued. I want this warrant issued at the next hearing. The court should abandon its homophobic attitude. This has now become a political cause. The court does not show the will, determination and effort to arrest the [victim's] father. In a homophobic country, it will not be desirable for them to clarify this case."