- Update: thanks to Ciccio we now have the full English translation of this article.
The chief of police blames the victim and doesn’t show much interest to pursue the case. The parents of the killer, one of the richest families of Turkey, deny any knowledge, but papa Garipoglu has now been arrested . His son, Cem Garipoglu, the alleged killer, is on the run and wanted by interpol.
Cem Garipoglu comes from one of the richest families in Turkey and spent most of his life in expensive Swiss boarding schools. Cem is accused of having raped and murdered 18-year-old Münevver . The head of the murdered young women was found in his guitar case, the fragmented body in a garbage container. He apparently cut up her remains with a hacksaw. The body showed traces of torture.
A 17 year old girl has most likely been killed by the son of one of Turkey’s richest families. The authorities are remarkably reticent in their news releases.
SUSPECT COMES FROM GOOD FAMILY
Munever and Cem were 17 when they got to know each other at Starbucks in the upscale Istanbul suburb of Bebek. Munever was pretty and popular in her class, she was preparing for her entrance exams to study international relations. He was the son of rich parents and widely traveled, perhaps it is better to say widely passed around. Since the age of 12 he lived in boarding schools all over the world. Perhaps he was not a good student, but he spoke Spanish, French, Italian, Greek and Chinese. For her it seemed to be the love of her life.
On the 3rd of March this year Cem Garipoglu wanted to organize a birthday party for his girlfriend. Shortly before noon he brought her to his home. On the evening before they had both chatted over the internet. He had promised her a ” big surprise” . As surveillance cameras later show, he left the house again at 2p.m. Police assume it was to buy a saw.
BODY IN GARBAGE BIN
Munever Karabalut would not live to see her 18th birthday. Her chopped up body was found in a garbage bin. Her head was found in a guitar case. Cem’s guitar case. Before her murder she had been abused. Though she had been a virgin until death, traces of sperm were found in her underwear.
When the police arrived at Cem’s parents home a few hours later, the house, from attic to basement, had been freshly scrubbed. Despite that the police found traces of Munever’s blood. They found Cem’s blood soaked garments and under his bed a bloody saw with traces of hair. No trace of Cem. The parents claimed they knew nothing and although police discovered traces of blood on their clothes, the court dismissed the case.
Cem Garipoglu has disappeared without a trace. The Garipoglu family is one of the richest in Turkey. Cem’s father Mehmet Nida Goripoglu is the owner of “Burgas Raki” distilleries which is why the case is making such waves. Shortly after the murder young Turks joined facebook to commemorate Munever. The site has 88,000 supporters.
PROTESTS WERE SUCCESSFUL
Apart from the action on Facebook, there were demonstrations against the judiciary for their lack of action. It is believed the deliberate murderer Cem Garipoglu has (with the help of his family) fled the country. This has reinforced the belief in the country that if you are rich, you can get away with anything.
The protests are having some effect. Cem’s father, whom the judges had at first set free is now under arrest. There is also the matter of the chief of police in Istanbul, Celletin Cerrah. When questioned about the lack of results after two months of investigation, he retorted: “Why did you not look after your daughter better?”. Would you allow your daughter to stay till late at night at a friends house? He did not do himself any favours with this “her fault”. Immediately the case of Munever was not only a cause for critics of the Turkish class system, now the authorities had the various womens groups at their throat. The parliament’s human rights commission has given the chief of police his walking papers. Since last week he has a new job, chief of police in a distant rural district.
Münevver und Cem waren 17, als sie sich im Starbucks-Café im schicken Istanbuler Vorort Bebek kennen lernten. Münevver war hübsch und beliebt bei ihren Mitschülern, sie bereitete sich auf die Hochschulaufnahmeprüfungen vor, wollte Internationale Beziehungen studieren. Er war der Sohn reicher Eltern und viel in der Welt herumgekommen, oder vielleicht muss man sagen: herumgereicht worden. Seit seinem 12. Lebensjahr lebte er in Internaten überall auf der Welt, war vielleicht kein guter Schüler, dafür sprach er Spanisch, Französisch, Italienisch, Russisch und Chinesisch. Für sie scheint es die grosse Liebe gewesen zu sein.
Am 3. März dieses Jahres wollte Cem Garipoglu seiner Freundin eine Geburtstagsparty organisieren. Kurz vor Mittag brachte er sie zu sich nach Hause. Am Vorabend hatten die beiden noch übers Internet gechattet. Er hatte ihr eine «grosse Überraschung» versprochen. Um 14 Uhr, das werden die Überwachungskameras später zeigen, verliess er das Haus noch einmal. Um eine Säge zu kaufen, wie die Polizei vermutet.
Leiche in Müllcontainer
Münevver Karabulut soll ihren 18. Geburtstag nicht mehr erleben. Man findet ihre zerstückelte Leiche in einem Müllcontainer, den abgetrennten Kopf in einem Gitarrenkoffer. In Cems Gitarrenkoffer. Vor ihrer Ermordung war sie misshandelt worden. Münevver war bis zu ihrem Tod noch Jungfrau, aber an ihrer Unterwäsche fand man Spermaspuren.
Als die Polizei wenige Stunden später in der Villa von Cems Eltern eintrifft, ist das Haus vom Keller bis zum Dach frisch geputzt. Die Polizei findet dennoch Spuren von Blut, von Münevvers Blut. Sie findet Cems blutgetränkte Kleider und unter seinem Bett eine mit Haaren und Blut beschmierte Säge. Nur von Cem keine Spur. Die Eltern sagten, sie wüssten von nichts, und obwohl die Polizei auch an ihren Kleidern Blutspritzer entdeckte, liess ein Gericht sie erst einmal frei.
Cem Garipoglu ist spurlos verschwunden, bis heute. Die Familie Garipoglu ist eine der reichsten Familien der Türkei. Cems Vater Mehmet Nida Garipoglu ist einer der Besitzer von «Burgaz Raki», ein Spirituosenproduzent. Auch deshalb hat der Fall so hohe Wellen geschlagen. Schon kurz nach der Ermordung taten sich auf Facebook die ersten jungen Türken zusammen, um der ermordeten Münevver zu gedenken. 88′000 Unterstützer hat die Facebook-Seite bisher.
Proteste waren erfolgreich
Neben Aktionen auf Facebook gab es Demonstrationen gegen die Untätigkeit der Justiz. Der mutmassliche Mörder Cem Garipoglu hat sich, so der Verdacht, längst mit Hilfe der Familie ins Ausland abgesetzt. Es ist ein weitverbreiteter Verdacht im Land: Wenn du reich bist, kommst du mit allem davon.
Und die Proteste zeigten Wirkung: Cems Vater, den die Richter zuerst hatten laufen lassen, wurde festgenommen, er sitzt heute in Haft. Und dann war da die Sache mit dem Polizeichef von Istanbul, Celalettin Cerrah. Der beantwortete vor zwei Monaten Vorhaltungen, die Polizei tue zu wenig, mit Gegenfragen: «Warum haben sie denn nicht auf ihre Tochter aufgepasst? Würden Sie etwa Ihrer Tochter erlauben, bis spät nachts bei ihrem Freund im Haus zu bleiben?» Mit diesem «Selber schuld» tat er sich keinen Gefallen. Mit einem Mal war der Fall Münevver nicht bloss eine Plattform für Kritiker der türkischen Klassengesellschaft, mit einem Mal hatten die Behörden auch noch die Frauengruppen des Landes am Hals. Auch die Menschrechtskomission des Parlaments zeigte dem Polizeichef die rote Karte. Seit letzter Woche hat er einen neuen Job: Er leitet jetzt die Polizei von Osmaniye, weit hinten in der Türkei.
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A 17 year old girl has most likely been killed by the son of one of Turkey’s richest families. The authorities are remarkably reticent in their news releases.
SUSPECT COMES FROM GOOD FAMILY
Munever and Cem were 17 when they got to know each other at Starbucks in the upscale Istanbul suburb of Bebek. Munever was pretty and popular in her class, she was preparing for her entrance exams to study international relations. He was the son of rich parents and widely traveled, perhaps it is better to say widely passed around. Since the age of 12 he lived in boarding schools all over the world. Perhaps he was not a good student, but he spoke Spanish, French, Italian, Greek and Chinese. For her it seemed to be the love of her life.
On the 3rd of March this year Cem Garipoglu wanted to organize a birthday party for his girlfriend. Shortly before noon he brought her to his home. On the evening before they had both chatted over the internet. He had promised her a ” big surprise” . As surveillance cameras later show, he left the house again at 2p.m. Police assume it was to buy a saw.
BODY IN GARBAGE BIN
Munever Karabalut would not live to see her 18th birthday. Her choped up body was found in a garbage bin. Her head was found in a guitar case. Cem’s guitar case. Before her murder she had been abused. Though she had been a virgin until death, traces of sperm were found in her underwear.
When the police arrived at Cem’s parents home a few hours later, the house, from attic to basement, had been freshly scrubbed. Despite that the police found traces of Munever’s blood. They found Cem’s blood soaked garments and under his bed a bloody saw with traces of hair. No trace of Cem. The parents claimed they knew nothing and although police discovered traces of blood on their clothes, the court dismissed the case.
Cem Garipoglu has disappeared without a trace. The Garipoglu family is one of the richest in Turkey. Cem’s father Mehmet Nida Goripoglu is the owner of “Burgas Raki” distilleries which is why the case is making such waves. Shortly after the murder young Turks joined facebook to commemorate Munever. The site has 88,000 supporters.
PROTESTS WERE SUCCESSFUL
Apart from the action on Facebook, there were demonstrations against the judiciary for their lack of action. It is believed the deliberate murderer Cem Garipoglu has with the help of his family fled the country. This has reinforced the belief in the country that if you are rich, you can get away with anything.
The protests are having some effect. Cem’s father, whom the judges had at first set free is now under arrest. There is also the matter of the chief of police in Istanbul, Celletin Cerrah. When questioned about the lack of results after two months of investigation, he retorted: “Why did you not look after your daughter better?”. Would you allow your daughter to stay till late at night at a friends house? He did not do himself any favours with this “her fault”. Immediately the case of Munever was not only a cause for critics of the Turkish class system, now the authorities had the various womens groups at their throat. The parliament’s human rights commission has given the chief of police his walking papers. Since last week he has a new job, chief of police in a distant rural district.