Turkish Prisoner on Day Release Murders Family in Ankara Shooting Spree
A prisoner on day release from a Turkish prison has committed a horrific family murder, shooting his wife, daughter, and mother dead before turning the gun on himself. The tragic incident occurred in the Turkish capital of Ankara, sending shockwaves through the community and prompting fierce condemnation from women's rights organisations.
Details of the Fatal Shooting Incident
Recep Cengiz, a 35-year-old inmate, was on an 11-day period of temporary leave from an Ankara prison where he was serving a four-year sentence for fraud and armed threats. Upon his release, he travelled to the Kuşcağız neighbourhood of Ankara and confronted his 57-year-old mother, Azize Cengiz, and his eight-year-old daughter, Azra, on Monday.
After getting into an argument with them, he shot and killed both his mother and young daughter before stuffing their bodies into the boot of his car. Cengiz then travelled to the home of his estranged wife, Beyzanur Uçan Cengiz, where he disguised himself as a courier before shooting her dead in her doorway. The prisoner subsequently turned the gun on himself, ending his own life.
Police Investigation and Prison Background
The exact motives behind this devastating tragedy remain unclear, with a police investigation currently ongoing. Authorities have revealed that Recep Cengiz was initially held in a closed prison before being transferred to an open prison facility prior to his temporary release.
In an apparent attempt to avoid detection, Cengiz is understood to have damaged the electrical systems at his wife's home, potentially to disable CCTV surveillance. This calculated action suggests premeditation in his violent actions against his estranged spouse.
Feminist Outrage and Protest Calls
The brutal killings have sparked fury from feminist groups across Turkey, who have decried the murders as part of a disturbing pattern of violence against women. The Women's Solidarity Committees wrote on social media platform X: 'Last year, six women were killed by inmates who escaped prison or were out on temporary release. The justice and interior ministers said nothing and nobody was held responsible! And today, another inmate has again sowed terror.'
Turkish advocacy group We Will Stop Femicides also denounced the murders and called for a protest in Ankara on Tuesday night. The organisation's figures reveal alarming statistics about violence against women in Turkey, showing that in 2025 alone, 294 women were killed by men, with an additional 297 women found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Of those women killed, 35 percent were murdered by their husbands, and 57 percent were killed with firearms, highlighting the prevalence of gun violence in domestic murders. These statistics underscore the broader context of gender-based violence that feminist groups argue requires urgent governmental action and systemic reform.
