Eight people were killed and one person was seriously injured in a shooting spree across three villages in Türkiye's western Afyonkarahisar province on Thursday, officials said. The suspect, a 30-year-old man, was arrested hours later in the neighbouring province of Eskişehir after a brief shootout with police, and has since been jailed pending trial.
The attacks took place in the rural İhsaniye district, in the villages of Yukarıtandır, Kıyır and Ayazini, according to the Afyonkarahisar governor's office and the state-run Anadolu Agency. "Unfortunately, eight of our citizens have lost their lives, and one has been seriously injured in armed attacks in our province," the governor's office said in a statement.
Police and gendarmes launched a major manhunt after the shootings, closing roads around the villages as they searched for the gunman. He was eventually detained in the Seyitgazi district of Eskişehir after allegedly stealing several vehicles while fleeing, and was later remanded in custody by a court.
What happened
According to Anadolu Agency, the shootings unfolded across three separate locations on Thursday afternoon and evening. Three bodies were found in the village of Ayazini and three more in Kıyır, about a half-hour drive apart. In Yukarıtandır, two women were found with gunshot wounds on a road and rushed to hospital, where both later died.
The victims were found inside their vehicles at several locations, Turkish media reported. The two women who died in Yukarıtandır were teachers, aged 31 and 46, at the village secondary school, according to the Hürriyet Daily News. Turkish media identified them as Hilal Mete and Ayşe Sena Demir. Classes at the school were suspended for a day after the attack.
Another person was found in a critical condition and remained in hospital, Anadolu reported. The governor's office said one person had been seriously injured in total.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Thursday afternoon | Three men shot near the exit of Ayazini village, according to the suspect's account reported by Turkish media |
| Thursday evening | Further shootings in Kıyır and Yukarıtandır villages; victims found in their vehicles |
| Thursday night | Suspect flees the area, allegedly stealing vehicles; police close roads around the villages |
| Friday morning | Suspect arrested in Seyitgazi district, Eskişehir, after a brief shootout in which an officer was slightly injured |
| Friday | Court orders the suspect jailed pending trial |
The arrest
The suspect was named by Turkish media as Arif Sefa Özdemir, 30, from Bozhüyük village in the İhsaniye district. The Hürriyet Daily News reported that he was captured in a rural neighbourhood in Eskişehir after allegedly stealing several vehicles while attempting to flee.
During the escape, Özdemir allegedly posed as an intelligence officer to seize a 19-year-old man's car, the newspaper reported. That vehicle later became stuck in mud, forcing him to continue on foot, before he stole another vehicle belonging to a local milk vendor. Police eventually stopped him by firing on the tyres of the vehicle he was driving. Özdemir reportedly fired at security forces during the confrontation, slightly injuring an officer in the ear, before being taken into custody.
NTV, a private Turkish television channel, had earlier reported that police were chasing a suspect driving a red car who was seen fleeing the scene.
The alleged motive
What follows is the suspect's own account as reported by Turkish media, based on his initial statement to investigators. It has not been independently confirmed, and investigators have not announced a final motive. The investigation is being led by three public prosecutors under the coordination of the Afyonkarahisar chief public prosecutor's office.
According to the Hürriyet Daily News, Özdemir told investigators that he killed three people over a financial dispute involving the purchase of a combine harvester, while the other five victims were targeted in order to steal their vehicles as he fled.
He allegedly bought a combine harvester from one of the victims, Ahmet Uzel, last year for 40,000 euros. The machine later caught fire while working in a field in Izmir and became unusable, leading to a dispute over the outstanding payment. The newspaper reported that the disagreement escalated into mutual insults and threats over the phone.
On the day of the shootings, Özdemir allegedly invited Uzel to Afyonkarahisar to settle the debt. Uzel arrived with two other men, and the four met near the exit of Ayazini village. Özdemir is accused of opening fire with a pump-action shotgun after an argument, killing all three men. He then allegedly targeted five other people along his escape route to seize their vehicles, killing them and seriously injuring another person.
"Unfortunately, eight of our citizens have lost their lives, and one has been seriously injured in armed attacks in our province."
— Afyonkarahisar governor's office
The investigation
Three public prosecutors are leading the investigation, according to Turkish media reports. The suspect was brought before a court in Afyonkarahisar and jailed pending trial, after being transferred from Eskişehir, where he was initially held.
Investigators are also examining a possible connection between the village shootings and an earlier shooting in the centre of Afyonkarahisar, in which a gunman shot a woman, the DHA news agency reported. That woman remained in a serious condition in hospital, according to Turkish media.
Afyonkarahisar lies roughly halfway between the capital, Ankara, and the coastal city of Izmir, in a largely agricultural region of western Türkiye. The villages where the attacks took place — Yukarıtandır, Kıyır and Ayazini — are small rural settlements in the İhsaniye district, and the shootings have shaken communities where such violence is uncommon.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed?
Eight people were killed and one person was seriously injured, according to the Afyonkarahisar governor's office. The figure has been confirmed by multiple outlets, including Dawn, the Hürriyet Daily News and the BBC, all citing the governor's office and the Anadolu Agency.
Who is the suspect?
A 30-year-old man named by Turkish media as Arif Sefa Özdemir. He was arrested in the neighbouring province of Eskişehir after a brief shootout with police and has been jailed pending trial.
What is the motive?
The motive has not been officially confirmed. According to the suspect's initial statement as reported by Turkish media, the first three killings stemmed from a dispute over a combine harvester he had bought, and the other victims were targeted so he could steal their vehicles while fleeing. Prosecutors have not yet announced their own findings.
What happens next?
The investigation continues under three public prosecutors. The suspect remains in custody pending trial, and investigators are examining whether the shootings are connected to an earlier attack in central Afyonkarahisar.
Key takeaways
- Eight people were killed and one seriously injured in shootings across three villages in Afyonkarahisar province on Thursday.
- The victims were found in their vehicles at separate locations; two of the dead were teachers at a village secondary school.
- The suspect, a 30-year-old man, was arrested in neighbouring Eskişehir after a brief shootout and has been jailed pending trial.
- According to his initial statement as reported by Turkish media, the first killings followed a dispute over a combine harvester; the motive has not been officially confirmed.
- Three public prosecutors are leading the investigation, which is also examining a possible link to an earlier shooting in central Afyonkarahisar.
Prosecutors are expected to release further details as the investigation develops. BreakingHour will update this article if officials confirm the motive or announce charges.
