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Murder of Fırat Çakıroğlu

Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu, a 24-year-old nationalist student leader at Ege University, died from blood loss after a fight between right-wing and left-wing students on 20 February 2015. Ege University student Nurullah Semo was later convicted of his murder.

SOLVED2015

Ege University, İzmir, Turkey

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Fırat Çakıroğlu
Fırat Çakıroğlu — Credit: Fatih Renkligil · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu was born on 1 January 1991 in Akşehir, Konya, Turkey. He was a member of the "Ülkü Ocakları" (Ideal Hearths), a youth organization affiliated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and served as the leader of the party's youth branch at Ege University.

On 20 February 2015, an argument broke out between right-wing and left-wing students at Ege University. The dispute escalated into a physical fight, during which eight people from both sides were injured. Three of the injured required hospitalisation, including Çakıroğlu. He died approximately two hours later at the hospital as a result of blood loss from his wounds.

Following his death, Oktay Vural, a Member of Parliament for the MHP, publicly attributed the killing to members of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party).

A criminal trial followed, lasting 880 days. Nurullah Semo, a student at Ege University, was convicted in connection with the case. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for "membership in a terrorist organization" and to life imprisonment for homicide.

In the aftermath of Çakıroğlu's death, several public memorials were established in his name. Two fitness centers, located in Tarsus and Menderes, were named after him, as were two parks in Nazilli and Aliağa and an intersection in Manisa. A memorial forest bearing his name was also established in Etimesgut.

The case has been referenced alongside other politically linked killings of the period, including the case of Ertuğrul Dursun Önkuzu.

Key facts

Victims
Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu
Date
2015
Location
Ege University, İzmir, Turkey
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1991-01-01

    Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu is born in Akşehir, Konya.

  2. 2015-02-20

    An argument between right-wing and left-wing students at Ege University escalates into a fight; eight people are injured, including Çakıroğlu, who dies of blood loss roughly two hours later at the hospital.

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People

  • Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu

    VICTIM

    24-year-old nationalist student and leader of the MHP youth branch at Ege University; died from blood loss after being injured in a fight on 20 February 2015.

  • Nurullah Semo

    CONVICTED

    Ege University student convicted of homicide (sentenced to life imprisonment) and membership in a terrorist organization (sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment) after an 880-day trial.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Fırat Çakıroğlu

    portrait victim

    Fırat Çakıroğlu

    Credit: Fatih Renkligil · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Ege University, İzmir, Turkey

38.4623, 27.2114

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu, a 24-year-old nationalist student leader at Ege University, died from blood loss after a fight between right-wing and left-wing students on 20 February 2015. Ege University student Nurullah Semo was later convicted of his murder.
Where did the murder happen?
Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Who was convicted?
Nurullah Semo (Ege University student convicted of homicide (sentenced to life imprisonment) and membership in a terrorist organization (sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment) after an 880-day trial.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Türkiye

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Fırat ÇakıroğluWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — aa.com.traa.com.tr · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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