Death of Yunus Emre Göçer

On November 30, 2023, motorcycle courier Yunus Emre Göçer was struck from behind by a car after stopping in the right lane in traffic at the Aksaray exit of the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul. He was found seriously injured, taken to Samatya Training and Research Hospital, and died on December 6, 2023, while in intensive care.

Traffic accident footage identified the vehicle as a consular car driven by Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a Somali diplomat and son of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. According to the family's lawyer, an initial traffic police report found no fault on the driver's part, and Mohamud was released after giving a statement at the police station. Göçer's wife, Öznur Göçer, said police initially told the family the incident was a suicide, a claim she said was withdrawn only after video footage emerged. A later expert report concluded that Mohamud was primarily at fault in the crash. Mohamud reportedly told police that Göçer braked suddenly without signaling and attempted a turn while not wearing a helmet; footage cited in reporting reportedly shows Göçer driving in his lane and not turning.

Mohamud was briefly detained after the accident, then released with a travel ban imposed. After being found primarily at fault, an arrest warrant was issued for him, but he had already left Turkey on December 2, 2023, several days before police attempted to detain him at his home on December 8, 2023.

The case drew significant public and political reaction in Turkey. Hundreds of motorcycle couriers gathered outside Çağlayan Courthouse on December 10, 2023, demanding "justice for Yunus" and protesting road safety and the handling of the case. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu criticized the authorities for allowing Mohamud to leave the country. Politicians including Özgür Çelik of the Republican People's Party and Mustafa Yeneroğlu of the Democracy and Progress Party publicly criticized the handling of the case and the perceived inequality before the law. Turkish Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç said any fault would be pursued regardless of the individual's status and stated that international procedures were being carried out to attempt to secure the suspect's return, while also facing criticism after deflecting reporters' questions about the case at a press event.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opened an ex officio investigation into the police officers who produced the initial "no fault" report and into social media allegations that officers told Göçer's wife her husband had died by suicide. As of the events described, Mohamud remained outside Turkey and had not been apprehended under the arrest warrant issued against him. Göçer was a father of two children, including an autistic 8-year-old son, according to his wife's public statements. <parameter name="timeline">[{"date": "2023-11-30", "event": "Yunus Emre Göçer is struck by a consular vehicle driven by Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Aksaray exit of the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul; an investigation into involved police officers is launched the same day."}, {"date": "2023-12-02", "event": "Mohamud leaves Turkey."}, {"date": "2023-12-06", "event": "Göçer dies in hospital from his injuries."}, {"date": "2023-12-07", "event": "Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu publicly comment on the case."}, {"date": "2023-12-08", "event": "Police attempt to detain Mohamud at his home but he cannot be found, having already left the country; Mustafa Yeneroğlu comments on the case."}, {"date": "2023-12-10", "event": "Motorcycle couriers protest outside Çağlayan Courthouse demanding justice; further political reactions from Özgür Çelik and Cemal Enginyurt; Justice Minister Tunç deflects reporters' questions about the case."}]