Police officer Hüseyin Tayfun Üçgül, known as the “Maserati cop” working in the Muğla-Dalaman District Police Department, was discovered dead in his car, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. As Üçgül had recently gained notoriety due to his suspiciously lavish lifestyle, complete with a luxury Maserati sports car, questions arose regarding the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Üçgül was found lying on the steering wheel in a parked car in the Gökbel forest in Muğla province, with a single gunshot to his head, appearing to be self-inflicted. A passerby found Üçgül in his vehicle and contacted the emergency services, who ruled the incident a suicide. According to reporting from Cumhuriyet news, gunpowder residue was found on Üçgül’s hand, indicating that he may have in fact been the one who pulled the trigger. Cumhuriyet also reported that Üçgül’s wife Özlem Üçgül may have also been in the car and got out of the vehicle following an argument between the couple. Hüseyin Üçgül is claimed to have taken his own life after his spouse exited the car. Üçgül’s remains are currently in Muğla Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy and the investigation is currently ongoing.
Üçgül had recently been suspended from duty and currently under investigation when he had an altercation in traffic with attorney Fatih Uzun, which resulted in his rise to infamy. Following an argument, Üçgül allegedly assaulted Uzun and consequently broke his leg.
The men began by exchanging insults, leading them to park their vehicles by the roadside. According to reports, during the heated exchange, Fatih Uzun attempted to strike Üçgül with a punch, narrowly missing his target. In retaliation, Üçgül delivered a forceful kick to Uzun’s knee, causing injury. Adding to the intensity of the moment, Üçgül remarked, “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” These events, witnessed by the respective spouses of both parties, were detailed in the filed indictment.
The legal document further revealed that Fatih Uzun, undeterred by the altercation, issued a threat to Üçgül, saying, “Your license plate bears the mark of the Republic, and I hold sway over all prosecutors and underworld figures. I shall hold you accountable for this, our business here is far from over.” The indictment reportedly presented sufficiently compelling evidence that Fatih Uzun had sustained a broken leg from the altercation, warranting the initiation of a public prosecution. Additionally, the indictment also recommended that Üçgül face trial on charges of “public insult” and “intentional bodily harm.” Üçgül reportedly faced a potential prison term of 6 years and 10 months, if convicted.
The incident became headline news as Üçgül was driving a Maserati Levante luxury sports SUV worth 8.5 Million Liras ($325,000); hardly attainable for an average police officer earning about 306,000 Liras ($11,700) annually.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Interior appointed an inspector to conduct an administrative investigation into Üçgül and the officer was reassigned from the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime (KOM) task force to desk duty. Üçgül was under investigation for both the road rage incident and the officer’s financial affairs. It was later discovered that Üçgül would face official proceedings as a result of the investigation.
“Weight loss tea”
Medyascope'u destekle. Medyascope'a abone ol.
Medyascope’u senin desteğin ayakta tutuyor. Hiçbir patronun, siyasi çıkarın güdümünde değiliz; hangi haberi yapacağımıza biz karar veriyoruz. Tıklanma uğruna değil, kamu yararına çalışıyoruz. Bağımsız gazeteciliğin sürmesi, sitenin açık kalması ve herkesin doğru bilgiye erişebilmesi senin desteğinle mümkün.
In the aftermath of the incident, Hüseyin Tayfun Üçgül’s wife, Özlem Üçgül defended their fortune saying that they had amassed their wealth through the sale of “Ministry-approved weight loss tea,” and came forth to staunchly defend her husband while giving a television interview. According to reports however, it was eventually revealed that the couple were not being completely forthcoming about their operation. While the couple were in fact in the weight-loss tea business, they had never attained any approval by the Ministry of Agriculture which swiftly imposed a substantial penalty of 114,326 Liras ($4,300), and barred all advertising for the product.
Özlem Üçgül, speaking on behalf of her husband, candidly disclosed the remarkable extent of their wealth. Under their ownership lay three villas, a restaurant, a business establishment, and a pair of luxury automobiles. Özlem Üçgül also stated, “The entirety of our assets are held through my company. What is mine is my husband’s, what’s his is mine.”
Özlem Üçgül denies any involvement unlawful activities
Following Hüseyin Tayfun Üçgül’s demise, Özlem Üçgül went on social media to defend his deceased husband, arguing that he was an innocent man driven to take his life faced with false allegations:
“The one responsible for driving this man to suicide will all be held accountable. I cannot even begin to process the pain I feel that these baseless rumors still persist. My husband was honorable, proud; he couldn’t bear the burden of false accusations. My children have been left fatherless; may your conscience ache as well. You will all answer to God. Lawyer! What did you gain by smearing him? He never laid a finger on you. How did you manage to destroy a man as sturdy as a mountain? He never partook in ill-gotten gains, nor allowed others to indulge in them.”
