Decision in the case returned from the Supreme Court in the missing murder case in Isparta: 2 life sentences

Korhan Taştekin, a father of three children, and Zehra Çaycı, a mother of two children, both working in a yarn factory in Isparta, disappeared on August 10, 2017.

In case Çaycı and Taştekin were killed, Isparta Police Department Public Order Branch Directorate Homicide Bureau teams started an investigation. It was claimed that Çaycı and Taştekin were last seen at the feedlot belonging to Ali Aydıner.

The police detained Ali Aydıner, known as 'Besici Ali', a friend of Zehra Çaycı and Korhan Taştekin, in May 2018. A lawsuit was filed against Aydıner, who was arrested, at the Isparta 1st High Criminal Court, requesting life imprisonment twice for the crime of 'intentional murder'. At the hearing held on January 7, 2021, it was decided to acquit and release the defendant Ali Aydıner due to lack of evidence.

THE SUPREME COURT REVERSED THE DECISION

The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals, which examined the file as a result of the objection of the Taştekin and Çaycı families, overturned the acquittal decision on January 14, 2026 and sent the file back to the local court.

In the Supreme Court decision; Reference was made to the local court's decision to acquit the defendant due to the lack of bodies of the missing persons and the possibility that they were still alive. It was pointed out that there were no signs of what the two people were going through, and that it was impossible for them to survive, considering that they had been living with a limited budget for years, and that they had not even withdrawn their salaries and had not taken any official action.

In the Supreme Court decision, it was also emphasized that the live broadcast recorded in the house belonging to the fattening farm where Çaycı and Taştekin were last seen, the signals received from base stations, the SIM cards taken from the phones of the missing persons came from Ali Aydıner, and the defendant's effort to draw suspicions about the murder on others. Additionally, the defendant Ali Aydıner's statement to Özlem Singeç, with whom Korhan Taştekin was divorced but lived together, saying "I killed Korhan and Zehra" was also included in the file.

HE WAS ARRESTED AND TRIED AGAIN

Following the Supreme Court's reversal decision, Ali Aydıner was arrested and tried again at the Isparta 1st High Criminal Court. The last hearing of the case was held and decided on September 8. Korhan Taştekin's mother, Fadime Taştekin, his divorcee, Özlem Singeç, Zehra Çaycı's mother, Keziban Çaycı, and the lawyers of the parties were present in the courtroom. Arrested defendant Ali Aydıner attended the hearing via SEGBİS.

PROSECUTOR ASKED FOR LIFE PERSON TWO TIMES

In its opinion, the prosecution stated that the defendant's crime of 'intentionally killing' two people was proven and requested that he be sentenced to life imprisonment twice. The court panel gave the defendant the floor to defend the opinion.

Defendant Aydıner said, "The families know me. They know that I would not do such a thing. I did not do such a thing. I demand my acquittal and release." The plaintiff parties stated that they agreed with the opinion and asked for the defendant to be punished.

The court announced that the defendant Ali Aydıner was sentenced to life imprisonment twice for the "intentional murder" of two people. The delegation also stated that there was no opinion that the defendant showed any remorse, therefore no sentence reduction was applied.