Berdel murder in Adana: 16-year-old youth loses his life

A marriage crisis between two families in the Solaklı Cumhuriyet neighborhood of Adana's Yüreğir district has taken a tragic turn, resulting in murder. According to allegations, the desire of Sinan Yeşil and Berivan Yeşil to marry did not receive the expected approval from their families. After being turned down, the young couple eloped on December 30, getting married in another city without their families' consent.

Following the marriage, Berivan's family demanded a 'berdel' from the other family; meaning they wanted a girl from the Yeşil family to marry someone from their own family. When this request was rejected, tensions between the two families escalated.

The situation went beyond confrontations between the families on January 12 and turned into a bloody attack. As Bekir Yeşil and his son Muhammet Yeşil were heading to their vehicle to go to their fields in the morning, they were subjected to an armed attack by Ali E., who is identified as Berivan's brother. Although the father and son tried to escape the attack, they were targeted by gunfire. 16-year-old Muhammet, who was taken to the hospital with injuries, lost his life, while his father Bekir Yeşil was discharged after receiving treatment. Efforts to capture the fleeing assailant are ongoing.

4 PEOPLE ARRESTED AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION

Following the murder, teams from the Adana Police Department determined that the crime was committed with a traditional motive. As a result of the investigation, Mehmet Nuri E., who is alleged to have incited the murder, his wife Hacer E., their brothers Ergün E., and nephews Mesut E. and Ferhat E. were detained. While Ferhat E. was released under judicial control, the other 4 individuals were arrested by the court. Ali E., who carried out the armed attack, is still being sought.

Bekir Yeşil, the father of the deceased Muhammet, expressed the pain of losing his son and stated that their family is still under threat, saying:

“The young people loved each other and wanted to be together. We asked for the girl's hand many times, but they wouldn't give her. We brought in family elders as intermediaries, but their decision didn't change. Upon that, they ran away and got married. Afterward, they started pressuring us for a berdel. They even sent messages saying, ‘If you don't do a berdel, we will kill you all. We will massacre you.’ The family members are involved in this; they issued our death warrant. They sacrificed us to tradition.”

Bekir Yeşil expressed his request for help from the authorities to ensure his safety with these words:

“He suddenly appeared in front of us as we were getting into our vehicle. He started shooting at me first, then turned to my son. We were both shot, but my son died in my arms. Our lives are still in danger. They say they will finish the job they started. They fly drones over our house and watch us. I can't even go to get my dressings changed. I keep thinking, will there be another assassination? We are in a desperate situation, we are waiting for help from our state.”

Sinan Yeşil's wife, Berivan Yeşil, emphasized that she married out of love, not by force, and explained that she did not give up on her love despite family pressure:

“They came to ask for my hand 5 times, but my family did not allow it. They even said, ‘If you accept, we will destroy this family.’ We loved each other, I didn't give up. When my father saw my husband near our house, he told my brother, ‘If you see him again, shoot him in the head.’ After we ran away, they wanted to do a berdel with my sister-in-law. When she didn't want it either, the matter reached this point. My family didn't like Sinan; it happened because they didn't want him.”

Stating that she wants her brother to be caught as soon as possible, Berivan Yeşil said, “I was not kidnapped by force. I married out of love. Everyone knew we loved each other. We had been together for about 8 months, and my family hadn't said anything. When things got serious, they did this. My family was saying, ‘We will destroy your father-in-law and you both.’ A day after we ran away, they gathered at my uncle's house and decided to destroy the family.”

Following the armed attack, which was also captured on security cameras, the police are continuing their extensive investigation into the incident. Efforts to capture the murder suspect, Ali E., are ongoing.

News Source: 12punto