Atlas ÇAĞLAYAN Murder

Atlas Çağlayan Murder is the incident in which 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan was stabbed to death on 14 January 2026 in the Güngören district of Istanbul by 15-year-old E.C. following an allegation of “side-glancing.” The incident occurred in front of a baklava shop in Mehmet Nesih Özmen Neighborhood. The attacker was taken into custody and detained on charges of “intentional homicide.”

Course of Events

On the evening of 14 January 2026 around 8:20 PM, in a café located in the Mehmet Nesih Özmen Neighborhood of Istanbul’s Güngören district, a verbal dispute erupted between two groups of individuals under the age of 18 over an allegation of “side-glancing.” The brief dispute reignited after both parties left the café and turned into a street fight. The 15-year-old suspect, identified as E.C., stabbed 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan in the chest with a knife described as “silenced.”

Immediately after the incident, bystanders alerted police and medical teams. Çağlayan collapsed on the ground with severe injuries and was transported to Bağcılar Education and Research Hospital. Despite all medical interventions, he succumbed to his wounds.

Shortly after the incident, E.C. was taken into custody by police and, along with the knife used in the crime, was detained by the Güngören Children’s Bureau. The friends allegedly present with the suspect were also taken to the police station for questioning. After formal procedures, E.C. was transferred to Bakırköy Courthouse and detained by the on-duty peace criminal judge before being sent to the Karatepe Child and Youth Closed Penal Institution.

It is known that Atlas Çağlayan, born in 2009, lived in Istanbul with his family. On the day of the incident, he left home after picking up his mother from work to visit his sibling and was killed shortly thereafter. His funeral was held at the Kazlıçeşme Cemetery, where he was buried beside his grandmother.

Atlas Çağlayan’s mother, Gülhan Ünlü, stated that her son died shortly after being wounded and said: “My child did not live for even half an hour. His life did not last half an hour. They said, ‘He passed away,’ they said, ‘He died.’ That monster killed my child. I demand justice for Atlas. I want everyone to hear my voice.”

Investigation and Legal Proceedings

Suspect’s Statement

The suspect E.C. provided a detailed account of the events on the day of the incident to the prosecutor. He stated that he did not know Atlas Çağlayan and declared: “On the date of the incident, I went to a café in Güngören with my friends A.A.H., S.Y., and M. As I exited the café with my friends, a person from another group that had just left the café, whom I later learned was named Atlas Çağlayan, approached me and shouted, ‘What are you looking at?’ He then attacked me. In response, I pulled out the knife I was carrying and swung it, stabbing him once in the abdomen.”

E.C. described what followed the stabbing as follows: “Afterward, they laid the boy on the ground. My friends nearby hit me and insulted me. I waited there. My friend A.A.H. told me to hand him the knife, so I gave it to him. While he held the knife, people inside the café told him to drop it. A.A.H. dropped the knife on the ground. When the police arrived, they arrested me inside the café and took possession of the knife. I did not know Atlas Çağlayan before and accept the accusations as I have described them.”

E.C.’s statement indicated that there was no prior planning or acquaintance between the parties and that the incident resulted from an impulsive argument. Following interrogation by the prosecutor, the suspect was detained on charges of “intentional homicide.”

Mother Gülhan Ünlü’s Statement

Following the incident, Atlas Çağlayan’s mother, Gülhan Ünlü, asserted in statements to both the media and judicial authorities that her son was innocent and that the incident was in no way carried out “to intimidate.” She firmly rejected the suspect’s lawyer’s claim that “the knife was swung only to frighten.” Her statement was recorded as follows: “If the intent had been to intimidate, he would not have lunged forward and stabbed with the knife. How could stabbing someone in the chest be an act of intimidation? I reject all such claims.” This clearly indicated her belief that the incident was a deliberate attack.

Ünlü emphasized that her son was a calm and compassionate child, stating: “My child bears no guilt whatsoever. There is not even a possibility that my son glanced sideways. How could someone with such a radiant face possibly glance sideways?”

She further described her son’s personality: “I wish you could have known Atlas. Without even meeting him, the whole country loved my child. Light radiated from his face—he was an angel. He helped everyone and was deeply loved at school. His friends were also like flowers, like angels. When they stood side by side, it was immediately clear.”

Gülhan Ünlü, mother of 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan, who was stabbed to death in Güngören, 18 January 2026 - (Anadolu Agency)

Investigation and Court Proceedings

The investigation initiated after the incident is being conducted by the Bakırköy Public Prosecutor’s Office. After completion of procedural steps, the suspect E.C. was referred to the on-duty peace criminal judge, detained, and sent to the Karatepe Child and Youth Closed Penal Institution.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, in a statement on 20 January, emphasized that the process was being handled with great sensitivity by judicial authorities: “There must be no doubt that the process will be conducted with the utmost sensitivity and that the perpetrator or perpetrators will receive the punishment they deserve.”

Minister Tunç also stated: “The tragic death of our child Atlas Çağlayan in a stabbing attack in the Güngören district of Istanbul has deeply wounded our hearts. May Allah grant mercy to our child Atlas and grant his family, loved ones, and the honorable nation patience and strength.”

Tunç emphasized that the investigation by the Bakırköy Public Prosecutor’s Office has been pursued with full rigor and meticulousness from the outset, noting: “The suspect was taken into custody on charges of ‘intentional homicide’ and detained by judicial authorities. Additionally, three suspects were taken into custody and detained on charges of ‘aggravated threats’ for threatening Atlas’s family. There must be no doubt that the investigation and trial processes will be conducted with the utmost sensitivity and that the perpetrator or perpetrators will receive the punishment they deserve. Preventing violence, applying deterrent sanctions against crime, and protecting our children and youth are vital responsibilities for us.”

Minister Tunç also reported that the Research Commission established by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to examine all dimensions of the factors leading children to crime is continuing its work “to strengthen protective and preventive mechanisms and ensure that children are supported healthily within their families, education systems, and social environments to actively participate in society.”

Tunç underscored: “The Ministry will immediately implement necessary amendments to the Turkish Penal Code and related legislation based on the findings of the Commission.” He added: “We will decisively take the necessary steps with a mindset that strengthens the peace and security of our honorable nation. We will continue our unwavering struggle against street gangs that disrupt public order, ideologies that glorify violence, and all structures that threaten society to ensure such tragic events are never repeated.”

Threats and Social Media Investigations

Following the murder, threatening messages were sent to Atlas Çağlayan’s family. The Istanbul Police Department, under the coordination of the Cyber Crime Prevention Directorate, launched additional investigations into these messages and social media posts.

As a result of operations coordinated by the Istanbul Police Department’s Cyber Crime Prevention Directorate, four individuals identified as making provocative posts were taken into custody. Additionally, three suspects identified as sending threatening messages were processed; two of them were apprehended outside Istanbul, and their statements were obtained via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). After judicial procedures, the suspects A.E., Y.T., and S.T. were detained on charges of “threatening.”

During this period, two additional individuals were taken into custody outside Istanbul for making false or inciting posts about the incident on social media.

Social and Institutional Responses

Official Visits and Statements

Following the incident, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül visited Atlas Çağlayan’s family at their home in Güngören. After the visit, Governor Gül stated: “We conveyed our condolences. We are all deeply saddened. The judicial process is ongoing. We came to offer our condolences. Anything beyond this would only deepen the family’s pain, and we have no intention of turning this into sensationalism. This is a serious and tragic event. Therefore, claims such as ‘he said this to him’ or ‘he said that to him’ serve no purpose. Our police and judiciary are continuing the process with determination. We will all see together at the end of the process that the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a statement following the incident, said: “We are fully committed to fulfilling our duty to the very end. We demand that the monsters who killed our child Atlas receive the appropriate punishment in court.”

Public Reaction to the Incident

The Atlas Çağlayan murder has been compared in public discourse to the Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi murder. News reports noted that the incident recalled the Minguzzi murder, highlighting similarities between the two cases in terms of the ages of the perpetrator and victim, and reinforcing public debate on the phenomenon of violence among children.

After her son’s death, Atlas Çağlayan’s mother, Gülhan Ünlü, referenced the earlier Minguzzi case, saying: “First they killed Ahmet, then they killed my child Atlas. Let no other child be harmed. Let no other mother suffer this pain.”

The incident has sparked public debate on the rising violence among children and the issue of children being drawn into crime.