Özgecan Aslan was a 19-year-old first-year psychology student at Çağ University in Tarsus, born and raised in Mersin to a working-class Alevi family. On 11 February 2015, after shopping with a friend, she took a minibus home alone. The driver, Ahmet Suphi Altındöken, attempted to rape her; she resisted with pepper spray, after which he stabbed her multiple times and beat her to death with an iron rod. He drove to a Gendarmerie checkpoint, aroused suspicion after diverting into a forest, but was released following a cursory inspection despite blood being found in the vehicle. He then enlisted his father, Necmettin Altındöken, and a friend, Fatih Gökçe, to help dispose of the body. The three burned Özgecan's body and severed her hands, reportedly to destroy DNA evidence from where she had scratched her attacker, before dumping the remains near the village of Çamalan. Her body was discovered by police on 13 February, so badly burned that identification relied on her clothing.
All three men were arrested and confessed to varying degrees of involvement. The driver initially confessed fully but later changed his account, claiming intoxication and that Özgecan had provoked the confrontation — a claim disputed by her parents. The Mersin bar association initially refused to appoint defense lawyers, delaying proceedings. A post-mortem examination found stab wounds, blunt-force trauma, and DNA from Altındöken under her fingernails, but found no evidence of completed rape, a finding contested by the family's lawyer. The trial began 12 June 2015 and concluded on 3 December 2015, with all three defendants receiving aggravated life sentences without parole; the driver and Gökçe received additional decades-long sentences on further charges.
The killing provoked large-scale protests across Turkey, described as a landmark mass women's movement, with demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Mersin, Tarsus, and dozens of other cities and abroad. 16 February became known as "Black Monday," with citizens wearing black in solidarity. The hashtag "#sendeanlat" encouraged women to share experiences of harassment and became a top global Twitter trend. Political figures across the spectrum responded, including Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, though the government's response was criticized by many as insufficient. A petition demanding legal reform — later termed the "Özgecan Law" — gathered over a million signatures, though proposed legislative changes to Article 102 of the Turkish Penal Code faced delays and criticism.
On 11 April 2016, while incarcerated in a high-security prison in Adana, Ahmet Suphi Altındöken and his father were shot by a fellow inmate; Altındöken died of his injuries while his father survived. The inmate responsible, identified as Gültekin Alan, was convicted and sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment plus 29 years in July 2017. No cemetery in Tarsus or Adana would accept Altındöken's burial, and his body was eventually interred at an undisclosed location following a delayed, covert removal from the morgue.
Key facts
- Victims
- Özgecan Aslan
- Date
- 2010s
- Location
- Mersin, Turkey
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
1995-10-22
Özgecan Aslan is born in Mersin, Turkey.
2015-02-11
Özgecan Aslan is attacked and killed on a minibus in Mersin while resisting an attempted rape.
2015-02-13
Her burnt body is discovered by police near the village of Çamalan and transported to Tarsus State Hospital.
2015-02-14
Protests begin in Istanbul, with demonstrators marching from İstiklal Avenue to Taksim Square.
2015-02-16
"Black Monday" protests take place nationwide; the minibus driver reportedly changes his testimony.
2015-02-18
Major protests occur in Tarsus, with around 15,000 marchers blocking a highway.
2015-02-20
District attorney reportedly finishes collecting evidence, awaiting the post-mortem report.
2015-02-21
Large protests take place in Istanbul, including a march organized by the Beşiktaş municipality.
2015-02-23
Post-mortem examination report is released, confirming stab wounds, blunt trauma, and DNA evidence but no signs of rape.
2015-06-12
First hearing of the trial takes place; prosecution demands aggravated life imprisonment.
2015-09-09
Second hearing held; defendants testify via video link and dispute details of the assault.
2015-12-03
Trial concludes; all three defendants are sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole.
2016-03-19
A phoenix-shaped sculpture is erected in memory of Özgecan Aslan.
2016-04-11
Ahmet Suphi Altındöken and his father are shot by a fellow inmate in prison in Adana; Altındöken dies of his injuries.
2017-07
Gültekin Alan is convicted of the prison shooting and sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment plus 29 years.
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People
Fatih Gökçe
CONVICTEDFriend of the primary perpetrator, convicted as an accomplice for helping conceal the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole plus 24 additional years.
Gültekin Alan
CONVICTEDFellow inmate convicted of shooting Ahmet Suphi Altındöken and his father in prison in 2016; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment plus 29 years.
Özgecan Aslan
VICTIM19-year-old psychology student killed while resisting an attempted rape on a minibus in Mersin.
Necmettin Altındöken
CONVICTEDFather of the primary perpetrator, convicted as an accomplice for helping conceal the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole.
Ahmet Suphi Altındöken
CONVICTEDMinibus driver convicted of the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole plus 27 additional years; later killed in a prison attack in 2016.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
archival location
Özgecan Aslan Parkı
Credit: Cobija · CC0 · Source
archival location
OZGECAN ASLAN'IN MEZARI - MERSIN SEHIR MEZARLIGI
Credit: Fatih Renkligil · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
unclassified
Özgecan Aslan protests
Credit: Hilmi Hacaloğlu (VOA) · Public domain · Source
archival location
Özgecan Aslan Koruluğu 1
Credit: Gökhan Can · CC BY 4.0 · Source
archival location
Özgecan Aslan Koruluğu 2
Credit: Gökhan Can · CC BY 4.0 · Source
archival location
Özgecan Aslan Koruluğu 2 (cropped)
Credit: Gökhan Can · CC BY 4.0 · Source
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- Özgecan Aslan, a 19-year-old Turkish psychology student, was murdered on a minibus in Mersin on 11 February 2015 while resisting an attempted rape; her killing triggered nationwide protests and a national conversation on violence against women in Turkey.
- Where did the murder happen?
- Mersin, Turkey.
- Who was convicted?
- Fatih Gökçe (Friend of the primary perpetrator, convicted as an accomplice for helping conceal the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole plus 24 additional years.), Gültekin Alan (Fellow inmate convicted of shooting Ahmet Suphi Altındöken and his father in prison in 2016; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment plus 29 years.), Necmettin Altındöken (Father of the primary perpetrator, convicted as an accomplice for helping conceal the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole.), and Ahmet Suphi Altındöken (Minibus driver convicted of the murder; sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without parole plus 27 additional years; later killed in a prison attack in 2016.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
Related cases
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Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Özgecan AslanWikipedia · 2026-07-05
- PRESSStreet protests across Turkey after woman killed for resisting rapeThe Independent · 2026-07-05
- PRESSTurkey: women battle oppression through protestThe Guardian · 2026-07-05
Record history
- First published
- JUL 05, 2026
- Last verified against sources
- JUL 05, 2026