14-year-old sentenced to 18 years over Istanbul teen’s fatal stabbing

ISTANBUL

Mother of Atlas Çağlayan, Gülhan Ünlü, made a statement before the hearing. (DHA Photo)

A court in Istanbul has sentenced a 14-year-old boy to a total of 18 years, 10 months and 15 days in prison over the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan, in a case that has drawn renewed attention to Türkiye’s approach to violent crimes committed by minors.

The defendant, identified as Efe Ç. because he is a minor, received 14 years and nine months for intentional homicide against a child, three years and nine months for armed threats, and four months and 15 days for violating the law regulating firearms and knives.

The killing took place in Istanbul’s Güngören district on Jan. 14, after Çağlayan and Efe Ç., who reportedly did not know each other beforehand, became involved in an argument. The confrontation escalated into a fight, during which Efe Ç. stabbed Çağlayan with a switchblade-type knife. Çağlayan was taken to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries.

The prosecution had sought a total of 21 years, seven months and 15 days for Efe Ç., including charges related to threats against four other people. Five suspects were also arrested after allegedly sending messages to Çağlayan’s family and making threats on social media following the killing.

The verdict comes amid a broader debate over juvenile justice, particularly after the death of 15-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who was fatally stabbed at a market in Istanbul by two suspects under 18. The case prompted widespread calls for tougher penalties for violent juvenile offenders.

Against this backdrop, parliament has recently approved sweeping amendments to the juvenile justice and child protection framework. The new law retains age-based sentence reductions but allows courts greater discretion in particularly serious cases of intentional homicide and aggravated injury.