The firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze quickly upon their arrival. Eyewitnesses said that although there had been a fire in the home, there were visible stab wounds on the four corpses brought out of the house, raising suspicions that the fire was an attempt to cover up a murder. The fire broke out in a home in the Hadımköy neighborhood early on Friday morning. Neighbors who noticed smoke billowing from the house immediately called firefighters and worked to try and extinguish the flames until the fire brigade arrived, breaking a window to throw water into the home. After the firefighters had put the blaze out, the exterior of the home did not appear seriously fire-damaged, increasing suspicions that the fire was a ploy to cover up after a murder.
The firefighters discovered the four bodies upon entering the home. One of the victims, Ahmet Sokullu, reportedly resided in the house with his elderly mother, Aliye Sokullu, who was suffering from paralysis. Ahmet Sokullu was reported to have arrived home on Thursday evening together with his two friends, Atilla Kabadayı and Ramazan Özgünül.
It is possible that the four died from smoke inhalation, though an eyewitness who entered the house with firefighters said all of the victims had apparent stab wounds. An electric stove, overturned and switched on, was reported to be a possible cause of the fire. Reports that the Sokullus were relatives of a public prosecutor who has not been named have increased suspicions of foul play. Gendarmerie teams are continuing the investigation into the deaths, and some news reports on Friday afternoon said gendarmerie sources had confirmed that all four of the victims had been stabbed.
