Police, responding to news of gunshots in the Hocahamza neighborhood, found that retired Lt. Col. Süleyman Oral Özçağatay had shot his wife, Hatice Canan, and the couple’s daughters, Melis and Cansu, to death before killing himself. The murders all appeared to have been committed with a single handgun. Özçağatay at one point served as president of the Çanakkale branch of the Turkish Retired Army Officers Association (TESUD). His death has raised eyebrows, coming on the heels of a string of reported suicides by high-ranking active and retired members of the military. Some of the colonels, captains and majors who allegedly committed suicide were suspected to have ties to Ergenekon -- an illegal crime network nestled in the government and military that is under investigation for innumerous dark crimes and conspiracies stretching back decades -- and, according to some commentators, could have been killed by the shady network to prevent them from speaking if arrested.
Following the discovery of the bodies yesterday, Gelibolu District Mayor Namık Kemal Nazlı and prosecutor Nihat Öztürk could be seen investigating the crime scene. Military officials were also present. Two computer hard drives from the home were taken for investigation. The bodies of the Özçağatay family were taken to the Gelibolu State Hospital morgue pending autopsy.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that Özçağatay, who retired from active military duty four years ago, used his cell phone to send SMS messages to some relatives, apparently informing them of his intention to commit suicide.
