Parents of teen driver face up to 10 years in Istanbul hit-and-run

ISTANBUL

Prosecutors have sought prison sentences of up to 10 years for the parents of a teenage driver involved in a high-profile hit-and-run crash in Istanbul, according to an indictment completed on Feb. 23.

Four suspects, including Eylem Tok and Bülent Cihantimur, will stand trial on charges of destroying evidence and aiding and abetting a criminal, the indictment said.

The case stems from a March 2024 incident in which 17-year-old Timur Cihantimur, driving an SUV without a license, crashed into three ATVs in Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, injuring five people. One of the victims, Oğuz Murat Aci, later died.

After the crash, Cihantimur left the scene, then fled with his mother, first to Egypt and then to the United States.

The indictment also seeks up to five years in prison for another suspect on the same charges, while a separate investigation continues into the teenage driver for causing death by negligence.

Prosecutors said Tok took Cihantimur to his residence following the crash, where his father was informed about the incident and later arrived home. Authorities rejected Bülent Cihantimur’s defense that he was unaware of his son’s escape, describing it as an attempt to evade responsibility.

Tok and Cihantimur were arrested in the United States on June 18, 2024. During the first hearing on Türkiye’s extradition request, Tok requested a change of lawyer.

In February 2025, a court in Massachusetts ruled that the two could be extradited to Türkiye.

The indictment said an arrest warrant had been issued for Tok and that she was being sought through a red notice.