Sole detainee released in case of fatal Istanbul crash

Following the highly publicized fatal accident involving 17-year-old driver Timur Cihantimur and his mother, renowned writer Eylem Tok, the individual arrested for aiding their escape abroad has been released.

Ayşe Ceren Sataoğlu, an employee of the company owned by Bülent Cihantimur, the father of the young driver, was released by an Istanbul court on April 17, leaving no one detained in connection with the case.

The incident on March 1 claimed the life of Oğuz Murat Aci and left four others hospitalized. It involved a group of five friends traveling on ATV-type vehicles when a luxury jeep driven by the 17-year-old collided with them in Istanbul.

Both Tok and her son fled to Egypt before ultimately traveling to the United States, despite earlier claims that they would return to Türkiye.

Ankara has taken steps to request the extradition of the mother-son duo from the United States.

The legal proceedings have seen developments since the incident. Saltoğlu was arrested on March 12, while Bülent Cihantimur was initially barred from leaving the country.

Meanwhile, the case has further complexities as the father, a doctor by profession, has been identified as a suspect in a separate investigation involving money laundering. He is one of 13 suspects in a case involving influencer couple Özlem Öz and Tayyar Öz.

The investigation among influencers has been a focal point in Türkiye for months, revealing alleged financial misconduct.