The mother of a Samurai-sword-wielding Turkish man who allegedly killed a woman who was about to marry the love of her life has stepped down after briefly representing her son in court, saying his actions cannot be defended.
Basak Cengiz, 28, who was working as an architect in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, had travelled to the province of Istanbul on a work assignment.
On 9th November, she missed the shuttle bus between her office and hotel, so she decided to walk.
Can Goktug Boz, 27, who lives in the district of Atasehir, saw Cengiz passing by his apartment block, and despite having never met her, he allegedly attacked her with a samurai sword – as can be seen in this recently obtained footage.
He then fled the scene, leaving the woman fatally wounded, according to local media outlet Haberler.
Boz was later arrested, and now his mother Ayse Necla Yomralioglu, who is a qualified lawyer, has stepped down from the role after briefly representing him, saying “I cannot find the strength to stand up either physically or psychologically”, reported Haberler earlier today, 17th November.
She added: “I am devastated that a young woman lost her life as a result of such a terrible event. I will carry the pain of Basak Cengiz and her family on my conscience.”
According to Yomralioglu, her son has been struggling with mental health issues and addiction for years, and she lost almost all contact with him after she divorced his father Ali Boz.
She said: “Goktug refused to live with me or to see me. I have been longing for my son for three years. He did not let me hear his voice nor see him.
“However, despite this situation, the possibility of Goktug harming someone did not even occur to me. On the contrary, he was a very timid child.”
The suspect’s mother concluded her statement by saying: “I will neither defend my son nor defend his actions. Because what happened is nothing to be defended. My son, who is the perpetrator of the incident, also openly admits this.”
The suspect was arrested by officials from the Atasehir Public Security Bureau and taken into custody. He was later taken to the Gayrettepe Public Security Branch for questioning, where he was reported as being “mentally unstable”.
During his first interrogation, officers reportedly asked him: “Why did you commit this murder?” To which he reportedly replied: “I was influenced by the films I watched”.
Having examined the disturbing notes littering the suspect’s home, expert psychologist and sociologist Dr Serap Duygulu told local media outlet DHA that Boz had an obsessive, self-punishing nature and probably heard voices that told him to act violently against certain groups of people.
The suspect lived an isolated life in which he became completely wrapped up in a violent fantasy land.
Many of the notes written on the walls inside his apartment were commands telling himself to carry out violent acts against others and telling himself how to behave.
One note reportedly read “Don’t shoot angrily, he’s setting a trap”, while others seemed to make references to his own weight, which he was believed to be very insecure about.
It is possible that he posted about his violent fantasies online using an alias.
The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues.
