Man who set his ex-wife on fire with gasoline dies before second hearing

Gürhan Üzer, who was being tried with a request for an aggravated life sentence for the crime of "deliberate killing with monstrous feeling and torture" for dousing his ex-wife Pınar Zorlu with gasoline and setting her on fire, has passed away before the second hearing scheduled for April 21.

It was learned that Üzer, who was unable to attend the first hearing due to his illness, had been receiving treatment at the Antalya City Hospital since the first week of February, was suffering from organ failure due to stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and had been in the intensive care unit for some time.

With the death of the defendant, the criminal proceedings in the case file have been dropped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INCIDENT

In the incident that took place on the morning of December 31, 2024, Pınar Zorlu was intercepted by her ex-husband Gürhan Üzer while she was leaving her home to go to work. Üzer poured gasoline from a canister he had brought with him onto Pınar Zorlu and set her on fire, causing her to be severely injured. 35-year-old Pınar Zorlu, who fought for her life in the intensive care unit at Antalya City Hospital for 19 days, passed away on January 18, 2025.

The first hearing of the case opened regarding the incident was held on February 24, 2025, at the Antalya 4th High Criminal Court, and the defendant Gürhan Üzer did not attend the hearing due to his illness.

Pınar Zorlu's father, Ramazan Zorlu, who was heard in court, explained that his daughter had called him before the incident to report that the defendant was in front of her workplace, and that before she was taken to the hospital, she had told him, "Take care of my son."