More than a month has passed since the death of Hakan Tosun, an independent documentary filmmaker and environmental activist known for his work documenting ecological destruction and corporate malfeasance in Turkey. Despite growing calls for accountability, the investigation into his killing has made little progress, with serious concerns raised by his family and legal team about the conduct of the police and prosecutors.
A review of the case, based on conversations with Tosun’s family and their lawyer, Hakan Bozyurt, raises at least 10 pressing questions about what happened the night he was attacked and the murky state of the investigation that followed.
Rabia Çetin
1. How did the attack on Hakan Tosun happen?
According to security footage included in the investigation file and accounts provided by his lawyer, the attack occurred at 12:17 a.m. A motorcycle entered a side street where Tosun was sitting beneath a utility pole. A third individual approached him, and after a brief exchange, kicked him in the head. Tosun struggled to remain standing. Minutes later, the same group returned, delivering another blow to his head that knocked him to the ground.
An ambulance arrived approximately 10 minutes later. Despite 20 minutes of on-site medical intervention, he was transported to the hospital in critical condition. His sister, Öznur Tosun, said emergency reports indicate he was already intubated en route and that his brain death occurred in the ambulance.
2. When was the family informed of his condition?
Öznur Tosun said her mother last spoke with Hakan by phone roughly 24 hours before they reported him missing at a local police station. At the time, police said there were no hospital records and advised them to wait.
Only after friends and family began raising alarm on social media with the hashtag “Where is Hakan Tosun?” did police contact the family at 4 a.m. to say he was hospitalized. His ID remains missing.
3. When did brain death occur?
According to emergency medical reports, brain death occurred during transport to the hospital, despite about 15 minutes of intervention in the ambulance. “He was first taken to emergency ICU, but they claimed there was no space,” said Öznur. “Only after public pressure on social media was he moved to regular ICU.”
4. Who is the third person seen in the footage and why was he released?
The third person, reportedly present throughout the attack and also seen when the ambulance arrived, has been identified by the family as Y.Ö. According to lawyer Bozyurt, this individual has appeared on social media in photos with firearms tagged with phrases like “gang” and “execution squad.”
Despite his presence at key moments of the incident, Y.Ö. was only questioned as a “witness” and released due to what authorities described as “insufficient evidence.”
5. What happened to the security footage?
According to a report by journalist Umut Taştan of Halk TV, the most crucial surveillance footage—captured by a nearby business—was taken by associates of the suspects shortly after the attack. The footage provided to the family appears to be “edited” or “trimmed,” and their requests for the full recordings from police have gone unanswered.
6. Did police conduct a thorough investigation of the crime scene?
Bozyurt says the police failed to carry out a detailed crime scene investigation. “Only after the family started asking ‘Where is Hakan?’ did the authorities act,” he said. “Initially, they treated it as a routine street fight. But the footage shows this was not a fight—it was a targeted, violent attack.”
Öznur Tosun also said some video evidence was collected without an official seizure order, and that fear among local business owners—fueled by police pressure—has discouraged witnesses from coming forward.
7. How were the suspects taken into custody?
According to Bozyurt, instead of being detained immediately from their homes, the suspects were summoned by phone to give statements. “This is a major failure—there was a risk they could tamper with evidence,” he said.
One suspect, a minor aged 18, reportedly showed up with a witness of his own to give a statement.
8. Was this a fight or a targeted attack?
The family and their lawyer insist this was not a random street altercation. The presence of a third person who returned to observe the attack, the lack of any visible injuries on the attackers, and the severity of the beating all suggest a premeditated assault. “If this had been a fight, the other party would show some injuries too,” said Öznur Tosun. “They kept hitting him until he was dead.”
9. What is the status of the investigation?
One month after the murder, there has been little progress in the case. Although a state inspector was assigned, no forensic report has been issued and key surveillance footage remains missing. Öznur Tosun said the prosecutor even told the family, “If it were up to me, I’d close this case.”
“They want to drag it out until it’s forgotten,” she said. “But we won’t let that happen.”
10. Was Tosun threatened before the attack?
While Tosun did not mention any specific threats, Öznur said he had expressed concerns that his video work might be drawing unwanted attention. He had told friends that his documentation of environmental and urban resistance movements could put him at risk. The family believes authorities should investigate whether he was being followed or targeted.
“We need solidarity”
Öznur Tosun has called for broader public support:
“We need more solidarity. We want the public to ask: Why was Hakan Tosun killed? Because this murder is a crime against humanity.”
Who was Hakan Tosun?
Born in Istanbul in 1975, Hakan Tosun began his career in the media in the 1990s. In recent years, he became a prominent video activist and independent documentarian focusing on environmental issues and grassroots resistance across Turkey. His work covered mining projects, dam construction, forest destruction, and corporate environmental violations. He also served as a witness in several lawsuits brought against major companies for environmental damage.
