Turkish Man Convicted of Pushing Pregnant Wife Off Cliff Released from Prison
Turkish man Hakan Aysal, convicted of pushing his pregnant wife off a cliff in 2018, was released from prison after six years pending a Supreme Court appeal.
A Turkish man convicted of murdering his pregnant wife by pushing her off a cliff has been released from prison after serving approximately six years, pending an ongoing appeals process. Hakan Aysal was freed on November 11 as the Supreme Court reviews his conviction and aggravated life sentence, though the decision does not constitute an acquittal and legal proceedings continue.
The tragic incident occurred on June 19, 2018, when Semra Aysal fell about 300 meters to her death in the Butterfly Valley region of Fethiye, southwestern Turkey. She was seven months pregnant at the time, and the unborn child also perished. Although the fall was initially treated as an accident, investigators later suspected foul play, leading to Aysal's arrest in November 2020.
Financial Motive and Legal Battle
Prosecutors centered their case on a personal accident insurance policy worth 400,000 Turkish liras, equivalent to roughly 8,000 US dollars, which Aysal had taken out in his wife's name shortly before her death with himself listed as the sole beneficiary. The prosecution argued that the murder was premeditated to collect the payout, an attempt that was subsequently blocked. Aysal denied the allegations, claiming the policy was purchased due to the couple's mutual interest in extreme sports.
During his trial, Aysal maintained his innocence, testifying that he did not witness the moment of the fall.
"When I turned back, my wife was not there," Aysal told the court during proceedings. "I did not push her."
He was subsequently convicted by a majority vote, despite the presiding judge dissenting and arguing for an acquittal. The case eventually reached the expanded criminal chamber of Turkey's Supreme Court, which ordered his release due to ongoing legal disputes surrounding the conviction, while detailed justifications remain pending.
Defense and Family Reactions
Defense attorney Mehmet Burak Çiçek welcomed the ruling, asserting that his client had been wrongfully imprisoned. The lawyer stated that the six years of unjust detention, including roughly four years spent alone in a cell, have finally concluded while pointing to prior dissenting judicial opinions. Conversely, Kerem Özgen, the attorney representing Semra Aysal's family, rejected the release and vowed to continue the legal fight once the full court reasoning is published.
"We will never give up on this case," Özgen declared, emphasizing that comprehensive evidence regarding insurance policies, loans, phone records, and testimonies must be thoroughly reexamined.
