Killed For Being Kind
June 10th 2022 in Bayraklı district of İzmir, Ali İhsan Kılıç shot his neighbour Yahya Köşek and Meryem Köşek. Kılıç then shot their daughter Funda Güçlü, who was trying to save her parents as they lay in the street.
The incident weighs heavily on my mind, and I find myself struggling to understand the senselessness behind it. What could have driven Ali İhsan Kılıç to such an extreme act of violence, to shoot these people?
What crimes had they committed to warrant immediate execution without question. What heinous act drove this man to shoot three people dead without a second thought?
They were ordinary law-abiding citizens, much like you and I. They had not broken the law, they had not argued or provoked, they were not hostile or aggressive in any way, shape, or form. Their crime in the eyes of Ali İhsan Kılıç was that of feeding hungry stray dogs.
In a world where compassion should be celebrated, this family found themselves scrutinized for an act of kindness. They saw suffering and chose empathy over indifference. For them, feeding the stray dogs was not just an action, but a reflection of their humanity, a small gesture that could make a significant difference in the lives of the voiceless.
Lawyer Senem Demirel Acar said “ These people were killed without committing any crime, just because they were compassionate & conscientious. We need to stand behind these people. First of all individual armament needs to be prevented. There are some practices & programmes that target stray animals. There are groups that encourage armament. These should be prevented”
February 26th 2025 in Urfa Cafer Özay took out a rifle & shot his neighbours Hüseyin Özbay his wife Dursun Özbay their son Yusuf Özbay and daughter-in-law İsmet Özbay
Hüseyin & Dursun died from their injuries.
In this fatality the catalyst for it was the feeding of a dog in the families garden. Another act of kindness that was punished in the most brutal way possible.
Why are certain members of the community behaving in such an extreme manner?
There are claims that hatred and violence has been encouraged by certain groups using social media as a vehicle for their mission. These groups have been campaigning hard for the removal of stray dogs from the streets, which is an admirable cause. Nobody wants dogs living in that kind of an environment. They suffer horribly from neglect & abuse. But, it would seem that these groups are targeting the kind people who care for stray animals also. At least. that is the accusation being made against them. Apparently there have been numerous posts encouraging violence toward anyone who chooses to help a dog in trouble. Sadly I have sighted numerous examples.
February 18th Altındağ. Ülker Güleryüz, known locally as Aunt Necla had her dog Bambam taken from her by the municipality.
We are told that BamBam was an owned dog chipped to Aunt Necla who was collected along with stray dogs in her area.
She was devastated & after pleading with the municipality was seen tragically following the municipal vehicle as it drove away with her beloved dog.
All throughout that day Aunt Necla was the subject of ridicule & hatred on social media. One of the posts suggested that she needed culling, it was all very morally disreputable & upsetting.
That evening a fire broke out at Aunt Necla’s home & she lost her life.
March 2025 İzmir Kemalpaş Yerdeşen, Şevket Yerdeşen, a caring gentleman who moved in to the countryside to care for his cats as a courtesy to his neighbours lost his life.
When he moved, despite being retired he took an evening job to provide funds to help the many stray dogs in his new district. He also took a dog in to his home.
It is reported that Sevket was heavily threatened for his compassion & was shot in his own home. He was taken to hospital where he remained for a month battling injuries to his respiratory system.
Sadly, he passed away.
Rahmi Yıldız had threatened Sevket many times regarding the compassion he had for vulnerable, neglected animals. Yildiz entered the home of Sevcet on March 12th & fired 4 shots. It is said that Yildiz was angry because several dogs had taken refuge in the garden of Sevcet’s home.
The police were called, their response was "Don't call us for your ridiculous dog fight”
Yildiz said that he fired his gun in to the air to scare the dogs. He was released following this statement.
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Michelle x