Manisa case reopened as DNA links Sarıgül death to Yılmaz probe

The file concerning the death of occupational safety technician Naile Büşra Sarıgül, who was found fallen from height at a construction site in Manisa in 2023, has been reopened. Her autopsy report had originally attributed her death to a heart attack. The decision follows the emergence of new evidence during the investigation into the murder of Mihriban Yılmaz in İzmir.

New evidence triggers legal review

Sarıgül, aged 23, worked at the production factory under construction for Toyo Matbaa Mürekkep A.Ş., located in the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone. On August 3, 2023, she was discovered having fallen from a height at the site and died after being transported to a hospital. An autopsy report dated October 16, 2023, stated that the cause of death was a heart attack.

A DNA analysis report dated April 24, 2024, identified the DNA profile of suspect Fatih İnan on the victim. However, the Manisa Public Prosecutor's Office issued a non-prosecution decision, closing the file. This outcome resulted from İnan’s claim of a consensual romantic relationship with Sarıgül and the autopsy findings linking her death to cardiac arrest.

Messages reveal prior incident

The non-prosecution ruling was overturned based on new findings from the İzmir Public Prosecutor's Office investigation into the killing of Mihriban Yılmaz, aged 26, who disappeared on December 29, 2025. Police examined phone messages between Fatih İnan, his brother Ömer İnan, and their uncle Kerem İnan. Fatih İnan confessed to Yılmaz’s murder during this inquiry.

The indictment notes that Kerem İnan wrote, "I am not afraid of the old one - I am afraid of this one," and "God willing nothing comes out of this, the old one is not a problem." Ömer İnan responded with "Don't make a sound." Investigators assessed that the reference to the "old" event pertained to Sarıgül’s death.

Indictment details charges

On September 4, 2026, the Manisa Public Prosecutor's Office prepared a new indictment based on these evidentiary developments. Prosecutors allege that Fatih İnan sexually assaulted Sarıgül and subsequently pushed her from a height to conceal the assault and simulate an industrial accident. He faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated intentional killing.

A public lawsuit was also filed against his brother, Ömer İnan, for influencing judicial duties. The first hearing took place at the Manisa 2nd Heavy Criminal Court. Following the taking of defendant statements and witness testimonies, the trial was postponed until January 12, 2027. Fatih İnan remains in custody.

Family demands justice

After the initial hearing, Sarıgül’s family and their lawyer addressed journalists outside the courthouse. Attorney Aleyna Altar noted that despite previous objections, the case had been closed in 2023 but resumed today due to new evidence in the Yılmaz file. She confirmed the court ordered the continuation of Fatih İnan’s detention.

Altar rejected the defendant’s claims of consensual relations, stating that witness testimonies presented today disproved any such history. "The statements regarding the matter do not reflect the truth," Altar said. "We will submit our necessary written objections to the file. There are some facts that have not yet emerged; we are following the process and waiting for justice to be served."

Mother Seher Yaldız, aged 54, denied allegations about family problems, describing her daughter as cheerful and full of life. "We want justice to take its place and the perpetrators to receive the heaviest punishment," Yaldız stated. Father Ercan Yaldız, aged 58, expressed frustration over the legal process, noting the file was closed and then reopened. "As a father and mother, what can we think? We want justice to prevail and expect judges and prosecutors to do their duty," he said.