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Turkish actor Ozan Guven, known internationally for his role in "Magnificent Century", will serve time in prison after the court upheld his conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend, Deniz Bulutsuz.
The Istanbul Regional Court of Justice confirmed the two-year and three-month prison sentence previously issued by the 58th Criminal Court of First Instance, rejecting all appeals after a five-year legal process.
Judges ruled that the initial verdict complied with legal procedure and that the evidence and witness statements were consistent.
With the decision finalized, Guven will spend around 45 days in an open prison, as part of his sentence outside supervised release. He has not issued any public statement following the ruling.
The appellate panel concluded that no procedural or factual irregularities existed in the first verdict.
It found that the lower court’s classification of the act as intentional injury with a weapon was accurate because Guven struck Bulutsuz with a lamp, which the court defined as a weapon. The decision stated that the trial process, collection of evidence, and legal interpretation were all lawful and sufficient.
Guven’s legal team had requested the annulment of the verdict, while both parties had earlier appealed the initial ruling. However, the court rejected every objection unanimously, finalizing the sentence.
Since the punishment remains below five years, Guven cannot take the case to the Supreme Court of Appeals. Under the current penal law, he is expected to begin serving the 45-day sentence within two weeks of receiving the written judgment.
The case began on June 13, 2020, when Bulutsuz, a social media professional, accused Guven of physically assaulting her at his Istanbul home.
Medical reports cited by Turkish media confirmed bruising on her face, arms, and legs, along with injuries caused by blows and impact against household objects. The forensic report described marks consistent with being hit by both hands and objects such as a lamp.
Public outrage erupted after photos of Bulutsuz’s injuries circulated online, prompting widespread debate over domestic violence and accountability in Türkiye’s entertainment industry.
Following the allegations, Guven was removed from the television series "Babil" and was cast aside before returning to the stage.
In 2024, he returned to the screen as Harun Yakar in Kanal D’s drama "Tas, Kagit, Makas" (Rock, Paper, Scissors), marking his first major role in four years.
In early 2025, it was reported that he had taken a leading role in TRT's streaming platform Tabii’s upcoming series "Benden Iceri". The same year, he also joined the stage production "Seven Husbands of Hurmuz" but left the project several weeks ago after renewed public criticism.
Guven’s conviction became one of Türkiye’s most discussed domestic violence cases involving a public figure. Rights groups cited it as an example of how long legal procedures can delay justice in gender-based violence cases, particularly when high-profile names are involved.
The appellate ruling finalizes the case after more than five years of hearings, evidence reviews, and appeals. While the sentence is limited to 45 days in open prison due to current penal regulations, it represents a rare instance of a celebrity facing jail time for assault.
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