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A court in Zonguldak, in northern Türkiye, sentenced 23-year-old Yunus Emre Coskun to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Celal Can Er.
The attack took place on Aug. 14 during an argument over a social media follow request allegedly sent to Coskun’s girlfriend. He was convicted of intentional killing.
After the verdict, relatives of the defendant and the victim clashed in a courthouse corridor, and police intervened.
The incident took place in Zonguldak's Bahcelievler neighborhood after Coskun accused Er of sending a follow request to his girlfriend on social media.
The disagreement escalated into a physical confrontation, during which Coskun stabbed Er. The teenager was taken to Zonguldak Ataturk State Hospital but died despite medical efforts to save him.
Coskun was detained following the incident and subsequently arrested pending trial on a charge of intentional killing.
During Tuesday's final hearing at Zonguldak's 2nd High Criminal Court, witnesses provided accounts of the events leading up to the stabbing.
One witness, identified by the initials P.A.H., said they had watched the argument from a window and understood that it involved a disagreement over a girl. The witness added that the two men had no previous hostility.
Another witness, H.H.A., who knew both men, confirmed that the dispute involved a social media request. The witness said they had accompanied Coskun and another person to a park and initially tried to calm the situation.
According to H.H.A., Er threw a punch before Coskun got out of the vehicle. The witness said they later attempted to contact police after realizing the confrontation could escalate, but the stabbing had already occurred by the time they reached the scene.
In his final defense, Coskun expressed remorse and claimed that he had acted out of fear for his life.
"I deeply regret what I did. I cannot sleep at night. I wish none of this had happened. I feared for my life. I did not act with any other intention. Everything happened because of that," Coskun told the court.
The prosecutor requested that Coskun be convicted of intentional killing based on the evidence and witness testimony, while also calling for his continued detention.
The court subsequently handed down a 15-year prison sentence.
Following the announcement, tensions between the two families spilled over into a confrontation in the courthouse corridor. Police intervened and brought the disturbance under control.
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