Bedirhan Şener, the son of Turkey’s one-time deputy prime minister Abdullatif Şener, shot his own grandmother dead on Wednesday evening after taking her hostage in her home in Ankara, Turkish media reported.
Police and emergency response teams arrived at the scene in Ankara’s Ayrancı neighborhood after Abdullatif Şener reported the hostage taking.
The murder reportedly took place after an argument between Bedirhan Şener and his grandmother Leyla Çetiner for reasons still unknown. The argument escalated, and Bedirhan Şener took Çetiner hostage with a gun. Despite the efforts of the police, Bedirhan Şener shot and killed his grandmother and was immediately taken into custody.
In a statement to the Sözcü daily, Abdullatif Şener denied the rumors circulating on social media that his son had killed his own mother. “My son, who has mental problems, did not know that he had shot his grandmother. We are deeply saddened by this tragic event,” he said. “The allegations that my son killed his mother are false.”
In a press statement he shared on X, Şener said yesterday’s incident had deeply affected the family and thanked those who expressed their condolences.
He pointed out that his son Bedirhan’s psychological problems, which had worsened due to his previous unemployment, and the media attention on his recent role as a parliamentary staffer, led to the tragic event. Şener asked that the family’s grief be respected at this difficult time, especially as his wife is undergoing cancer treatment.
Abdullatif Şener, a well-known Turkish politician and academic, has had a remarkable career. He is one of the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and served as deputy prime minister between 2002 and 2007. He left the AKP in 2007 and later founded a party of his own. Most recently, he served as a member of parliament for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) between 2018-2023.
Şener began his political career with the Islamist Welfare Party (RP), which was also the party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan when he became the mayor of İstanbul in 1994. Şener was one of the founding members of the AKP in 2001.
Şener is known for his critical stance on democracy, governance and economic policy, particularly towards the leadership of the AKP.
Turkish media reported that Bedirhan Şener was recruited as Turkish parliamentary staffer in May 2023.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, and further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.