An İstanbul prosecutor was fatally stabbed in a restaurant in the city’s Çekmeköy district on Wednesday night in an attack that has raised questions about security lapses concerning judicial officials, the Habertürk news website reported, citing the authorities.
Prosecutor Ercan Kayhan, 58, who was serving at the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan, was fatally stabbed in the throat at the Yeşil Oba Et Mangal restaurant by 19-year-old Mustafa Can Gül. Kayhan died at the scene despite emergency medical intervention, and the suspect was taken into custody immediately.
After initial questioning by the gendarmerie, Gül was referred to a court in Kartal on Thursday. According to remarks reported by the Sabah daily, Gül told investigators that he had once worked at the restaurant, had a previous argument with Kayhan and “did not go there intending to kill” but claimed he lost control when a confrontation escalated.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the death, saying Kayhan was stabbed in the throat during a dispute with a man with whom he had “previous hostilities.” Authorities underlined that Kayhan had not previously overseen any investigation involving the suspect.
The prosecutor’s office said Gül has three prior offenses for “violence against women,” “stalking” and “housebreaking” and had been jailed between November 2024 and January 2025. His release and subsequent involvement in a fatal attack have fueled public debate about why a suspect with such a record was freed after a short detention.
The prosecutor’s office noted that the official license holder of the restaurant is a man named Bilal Bilgin. Still, journalists Can Bursalı and Dinçer Gökçe reported that Kayhan was the de facto owner and that Gül had previously worked there before being fired, fueling speculation about the origins of the hostility.
Meanwhile, İstanbul Governor Davut Gül visited the crime scene later in the night. In a statement on X the governor’s office said a wide-ranging investigation had been launched, offering condolences to Kayhan’s family and “the entire judicial community.”
Çağlayan Adliyesi’nde görev yapan Cumhuriyet Savcımız Ercan KAYHAN, Çekmeköy’de bir restoranda uğradığı bıçaklı saldırı sonucu hayatını kaybetmiştir.
Saldırgan Mustafa Can Gül isimli şahıs olay yerinde yakalanmıştır. Olayla ilgili çok yönlü soruşturma başlatılmıştır.
Başta…
— TC İstanbul Valiliği (@TC_istanbul) September 3, 2025
Kayhan’s death leaves several issues unresolved. Among them are whether he had any business ties to the restaurant, the exact nature of his dispute with the suspect and why someone with a history of violence and stalking was released after such a short detention. The killing has also sparked a broader debate over the safety of judicial personnel, with critics asking whether enough precautions are in place to protect prosecutors and judges from potential threats.