Claim: The family of Hakan Tosun's attackers seized the camera recordings

The family of those who attacked journalist Hakan Tosun, who was beaten to death in the street, allegedly seized security camera footage. Allegedly, the security camera and recording device of a shopkeeper who clearly witnessed the incident were seized by the family of one of the arrested defendants, saying they needed it.

Questions remain about what happened to journalist Hakan Tosun, who was attacked and seriously injured in the middle of the street in Esenyurt, Istanbul, on October 10th and died of brain death on October 13th. Both his family, friends, and social media users are asking, "What happened to Hakan Tosun?" and demanding that the incident be brought to light as soon as possible.

Tosun's family accepted condolences at the cemevi in ​​Nurtepe, Istanbul. In her statement of condolence, Tosun's sister, Öznur Tosun, asked the following questions:

The saddest thing is this: My brother was beaten, then returned and was beaten again. Did he witness something here? Did he see something there? Because my brother is a journalist. He's a person who is constantly aware of everything with his camera. Did he witness something there? Did he witness a transaction there? Was he adding something to that car or motorcycle? Is that why they're trying to hide so much? Who is protecting these people, and why? What are they trying to cover up? Who is behind those 24- and 18-year-olds? Whose tools are they?

Meanwhile, Halk TV reporter Umut Taştan visited the scene where Tosun was killed and spoke with a shopkeeper. A shopkeeper, who declined to speak on camera but had a clear view of the incident, explained the incident to Taştan.

According to the shopkeeper, the police came to the shop twice the morning after the incident and examined the camera recordings on site, but did not seize any devices such as the hard drive containing the recordings.

After the police left, the family of one of the arrested defendants, who was known to be an electrician in the area, allegedly came to the shop and said, "We need your camera," and took the camera, which had seen the incident, along with the recording device.

The attacker's family told the shopkeeper that if the police returned, "Tell them we have the footage, and they'll take it from us." The shopkeeper later went to the family's shop to retrieve his camera and encountered the attacker's father. He reportedly said, "He slapped me, so they took my child. We're trying to clear our own minds."

The shopkeeper also claimed that the father said, "We had a feud before. The boy slapped him when he saw him. He lost his life, we don't want to be held responsible."

According to information obtained by reporter Umut Taştan, the defendant's father, a relative, met with the police "at a fireside" later in the day. There, the father allegedly told the police, "My child slapped me. Someone else did it; my child didn't kill me. We're looking for the killer."

Journalist and activist Hakan Tosun was physically attacked in Esenyurt, Istanbul, on Friday, October 10. Tosun, who was found seriously injured, was taken to Çam and Sakura Hospital.

After not receiving any news from Tosun for 24 hours, his family and journalist friends made calls on social media.

Following the missing person report, it was learned that Tosun was in Başakşehir Çam and Sakura Hospital. The journalist was reportedly brought to the hospital anonymously because he had no identification on him.

Hakan Bozyurt, a lawyer and member of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), announced in a statement regarding the incident that two people thought to be linked to the attack had been arrested.

Bozyurt stated that the incident occurred in the Mehmet Akif neighborhood of Esenyurt, adding, "The incident was recorded in judicial records. However, it is stated that because Hakan's identity was determined late in the day, there was a delay in reaching his family."

Lawyer Bozyurt shared the following information regarding the scope of the investigation:

The file contains footage of the incident. However, to fully shed light on the attack, eyewitness testimony and camera recordings are needed. We will submit our requests regarding this matter. All witness testimonies and evidence are of paramount importance.

Hakan Tosun's sister, Öznur Tosun, stated in a statement on Monday, October 13, that they were not informed that two people had been arrested in connection with the incident:

We, as a family, have received no information from this investigation. No information has been sent or presented to us. We are here for Hakan Tosun, who wouldn't even hurt an ant. We have received no response whatsoever regarding this investigation. When Hakan Tosun arrived by ambulance on the street and was taken to the hospital, why wasn't his family notified for 27 hours? He's not an undocumented citizen. Why weren't his fingerprints scanned? Why wasn't a facial scan performed? I'm also calling out the hospital administration. Perhaps you didn't take any action against my brother for 27 hours. Someone prove this to me. Why didn't the police inform the family? He wasn't undocumented or abandoned. When I went to the police station and filed a missing person's report, why didn't anyone tell me he was in the hospital?

Footage of the moment Tosun was attacked has been shared. Security camera footage shows two attackers arriving on a motorcycle suddenly attacking Tosun. The blows caused Tosun to fall to the ground, where he was then subjected to kicks.

The attackers were clearly seen exiting their vehicles, carrying out the attack, kicking the victim, and then walking away. The shared footage also showed two individuals involved being led out of the police station with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Footage of the attackers who beat and killed journalist Hakan Tosun was shared https://t.co/8FTjfK5xSZ pic.twitter.com/E4RzthY9ic

— Medyascope (@medyascope) October 13, 2025

He was born in Istanbul in 1975.

He entered the media sector as a technical consultant when private radio stations started broadcasting in 1993.

Tosun then settled in Izmir in 1998, where he worked as a news editor at various local television channels.

Tosun, who has been turning to documentary production since 2009, has become known for his independent productions focusing on themes of nature, urban struggle, and social resistance.

He attracted attention with his films such as “Towards the Rooftops”, “Tekel Workers”, “The Great Anatolian March”, “Gentrification” and “Validebağ Resistance”.

Hakan Tosun, who continued his independent career in journalism, was also working as a director at the production company "Doğa ve Kent Activizm Documentary".