He wanted a divorce right after the wedding — when his wife refused, he killed her

The incident took place on 8 February 2024 at the entrance to the Oncology Centre behind Elazığ Medikal Hospital. According to information obtained, Burcu Demir (32), who worked at the hospital as a physiotherapy technician, began talking in the grounds with her husband — a specialist sergeant — whom she had officially married in January.

An argument then broke out between the two. Following the argument, Murat Coşansel drew a pistol from his waist and shot Demir repeatedly, killing his wife. The suspect was apprehended and taken into custody after the incident, and appeared at his first hearing yesterday after being remanded in custody and sent to prison.

The defendant Murat Coşansel, who is being tried for "intentional homicide" at Elazığ 2nd Heavy Criminal Court, attended the hearing along with relatives of the slain woman and lawyers.

"I KILLED MY WIFE BECAUSE SHE PROVOKED ME"

Stating that he was deeply sorry for killing his wife, suspect Murat Coşansel said: "I deeply regret causing an incident that led to losing her this way. I sincerely apologise to her family. I killed her because she provoked me. I went to the hospital to talk. I had wanted a divorce for a week. She was saying that since we had recently married, we could not divorce so quickly and that there needed to be valid grounds. My wife, despite being with other men... I told my father-in-law about this. Because things were bad, we never told anyone close to us. After we got married, the lies continued and I learned new things. I told my father-in-law about the events; my father-in-law and mother-in-law were very angry with my wife. After I met my wife, we went to Istanbul. There, my wife went to see her ex-boyfriend.

Around noon I called her, and when I heard a man's voice in the background I asked 'Who are you with?' She said 'A male friend who happened to hear I was there came to see me.' She later admitted that was not what had happened. When I told her I did not trust her, she herself told me about a sexual encounter she had had with her ex-boyfriend. My wife asked me to make a virtual video together. I said I'd rather it be with me than with others.

After that, when I came to Elazığ, under the influence of the videos we became sexually intimate, and at that moment I realised she was not a virgin. She told me about her past herself. I told her I would not judge her for that. A week before the incident, my father-in-law and I argued because of the men my wife had told me about. I learned about all the men from my wife. My wife would tell me what had happened whenever something occurred. We had an engagement period. During that period there is a record of a suicide attempt on my part. While I was receiving treatment at Elazığ Fethi Sekin Şehir Hastanesi, during a phone argument with my wife she said one of her ex-boyfriends was better than me in bed. I then attempted suicide with a sharp object. After that incident my wife said it would never happen again, and because I loved her I agreed," he said.

"I ENDURED THINGS NO MAN COULD ENDURE"

Coşansel, who claimed that an amulet incident came up between the official marriage ceremony and the wedding, said: "After the official marriage, I understood that my wife was constantly forming relationships with men. These events happened after the marriage. After a while she started studying for the KPSS. She said she was going to buy a book; I said you were going to buy a book two days ago. She gave evasive answers. I got the book for her and asked how she had obtained it; she said a male patient of hers had brought it.

I got angry and we argued. I spoke with my father-in-law; he said what's the big deal about that. I said I had endured things no man could endure. This happened a week before the incident. In my anger I told my father-in-law everything my wife had told me and said I wanted a divorce. I called a lawyer who said it would not be an uncontested divorce but a contested one. I called my wife and asked her to come to the courthouse and explain everything. She said, 'What did you tell my father that he's looking at me like an enemy?'

I said I was determined to divorce. When my wife said late at night that she was feeling very bad and wanted to die, I called my father-in-law in the morning; we talked and resolved it again this time, I said it won't happen again, you are my witness, if something like this happens again we will divorce. The next day, after she came off her shift, my wife and I exchanged messages; she said her morale was low. I asked what happened; this time she said her mother was saying things like 'you're disgracing us' at breakfast that morning.

I said let's sit down and talk at lunch. She told me that if she hadn't told me these things, none of this would have happened. I said I wanted a divorce and you said no. We shouted at each other; I swore at her. I called my father-in-law and said we had resolved things — where did all this come from? This happened one day before the incident. I insulted my father-in-law. These conversations with my father-in-law and my wife continued on and off.

In another conversation with my father-in-law, I said I would tell everything and disgrace you, and that I would divorce. My wife called me saying I had disgraced her and that she wanted to die. I told her this was all because of her. While sitting in the kitchen I saw a strand of my wife's hair and became emotional and wanted to kill myself. I wrote a note on a napkin saying 'you forced me to do this.' When my family came to mind, I didn't go through with it," he said.

"WHEN SHE SAID 'I'LL BE WITH WHOEVER I WANT'..."

The suspect Coşansel also stated that he had decided to go to Elazığ: "I set off and, since I was on leave, I decided to go by taxi. I arrived in Elazığ in the morning. I hadn't told my wife because we had argued the night before. I was going to go and talk to my wife in the morning. I told the taxi driver to sleep and rest and that we would go again later. I went to my wife's workplace during her working hours. I didn't say anything to the taxi driver. When she saw me at the workplace she was surprised at first.

It was around 08:00. She was surprised to see me and said 'what are you doing here?' I said we can't talk on the phone, let's talk face to face. The reason I wanted to talk to my wife face to face was that I said a separation the way we discussed on the phone is not possible. I did not accept her offer to divorce in a year; I said let's divorce right away.

The moment I said that, I noticed my wife was not wearing a ring or a necklace. I asked where her wedding ring was; she said she had taken it off and it was none of my business. I showed her my own ring. She repeated the same things, saying we will divorce this way. I told her I would want her phone conversations examined. She said nothing would come up from the phone and that I wouldn't be able to pin anything on her. She told me to keep wearing my ring. Despite all my concessions, she said to me 'I'll be with whoever I want.' We were already talking outside. When I heard that, I snapped.

I drew my weapon and pointed it at her. She said 'Are you going to shoot me? Am I supposed to be afraid of you? We'll divorce in a year.' At that moment the gun went off involuntarily, against my will. I don't remember what happened after that. I heard a gunshot. The police said I fired 5 rounds but I don't remember. I had been pointing the gun at the middle part of her body. I moved away from there. I thought of the taxi driver. I wanted to send him away — after all, he had no part in the incident. I paid him and sent him off.

I bought alcohol for myself at a market above the university. I bought alcohol in the Zafran area and wanted to kill myself. I wondered what had happened to my wife; I couldn't remember anything. I gave up on killing myself. I remembered that there was a house belonging to my uncle in Zafran. My uncle's children were there. I asked to use a phone and called my uncle. I told him something like this had happened; he said he already knew and was at the police station and told me to go to the station too. I headed towards Fevzi Çakmak police station. Before I reached the station, I encountered police officers. I surrendered there. The weapon I fired was my own weapon. I did not come to kill either my wife or my father-in-law. I had two weapons in total. One belonged to the state and one was my own. The weapon used in the incident is the one issued by the state. In the statements I gave at the police station and the prosecutor's office, I described the event that affected me most. What I have described here is more detailed," he said.

"I TRUST IN JUSTICE"

The father of the slain woman, who spoke at the hearing, said: "He is absolutely lying. He did not tell me about any such incident. The day before the incident, while I was taking my younger daughter to physical therapy, he called me. He said there was something about a book; I told him to calm down and that I would ask about it. After that I never spoke to him again. According to what he says, my daughter slept with whoever she talked to. The defendant called me towards evening and said when he came to Elazığ he would kill all of us.

I went to the home of his uncle S. Coşansel, who lives one street away from us. I told S. Coşansel that his nephew was threatening me with death. He said he couldn't do such a thing. S. Coşansel received a phone call and turned to me saying 'I'll be there in 15 minutes, brother.' We sat there; more than an hour passed. Call your daughter — your father still hasn't come. S. Coşansel said he was on the Baskil road at that moment.

When S. Coşansel didn't come, I got up and went home. Morning came; my wife was on duty as an anaesthesia technician at Fethi Sekin Şehir Hastanesi. Because my daughter was running late, I picked her up and took her to the hospital. From there I went to Fethi Sekin Şehir Hastanesi and came home with my wife. He is lying. He lied to me while calling me father. I am filing a complaint. I trust in justice completely," he said.

After the court panel heard the defendant, witnesses, and lawyers, the hearing was adjourned to a later date in order to address the missing aspects of the case file.