US judge extends custody for Eylem Tok, mother accused of fleeing Türkiye after fatal crash

A Boston court has ruled that Eylem Tok, a Turkish national accused of fleeing to the U.S. after her involvement in a fatal car accident in Istanbul, will remain in custody as her extradition case continues. Tok, who allegedly took her 17-year-old son, Timur Cihantimur, to the United States after the incident, appeared in court for her third hearing regarding Türkiye’s extradition request.

The session, held at John Joseph Moakley Courthouse, lasted nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes. During the hearing, prosecutors emphasized that Tok’s actions, particularly taking her son out of the country after the accident, solidify her guilt under Turkish law. Her defense argued that Tok has no prior criminal record in Türkiye, and the crime she is accused of carries a penalty of less than one year, which under international agreements, may not mandate extradition.

Judge Donal J. Jabell expressed frustration at the length of the proceedings and requested that both parties submit an eight-page summary of their arguments within a week. He ruled that Tok’s detention would continue pending further developments.

Speaking outside the courthouse, the family’s attorney, Burak Erden, expressed hope that both Tok and her son would be extradited to Türkiye. “When they are returned to Türkiye, they will need to testify. They face charges of negligent homicide, gross negligence, and evidence tampering, which carry sentences ranging from three to 22.5 years in prison,” Erden stated.

Family of victim pleads for justice

During the hearing, letters written by the victim’s family were submitted to the court by their attorney. Sukriye Aci, the wife of the deceased Oguz Murat Aci, urged the court to recognize the personal toll of the tragedy, stating in her letter, “My husband is not just a name in this tragic story; he was a good man, a husband, and the father of our 1.5-year-old child. He is gone now, and I am left to pick up the pieces of a life that will never be whole again.”

Sukriye Aci also expressed pain at the fact that Cihantimur and Tok fled after the incident. “Their escape instead of facing justice has caused me even greater pain,” she wrote, asking the court not to allow this injustice to continue. “The return of the young man and his mother to Türkiyeis not only a legal necessity but a moral one.”

Pervin Aci, the victim’s mother, also wrote to the court, criticizing the pair for fleeing the country. “They believed that crossing borders would somehow erase the crime, that they could escape the consequences of their actions by hiding in a foreign country. But justice should not be something you can avoid by distance or geography,” she wrote.

She urged the judge to approve the extradition of both Cihantimur and Tok, saying that failing to do so would send a message that justice could be avoided and the suffering of a grieving family ignored.

The Eyupsultan Incident

The fatal accident occurred in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district on March 1, when one of three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) traveling on the road broke down and was pulled over to the side. While the vehicle was being repaired, two other vehicles traveling in the same direction collided with the parked ATVs. Five people were injured, and Oguz Murat Aci was killed.

The 17-year-old driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash, Timur Cihantimur, was identified as the individual responsible. Shortly after the accident, his mother, Eylem Tok, arrived at the scene and left with her son. They fled to Egypt and later the United States.

Upon Türkiye’s request, the U.S. Justice Department issued a temporary detention order, and both Tok and Cihantimur were arrested in Boston on June 14. Their initial court appearance on June 18 resulted in a decision to keep both in custody as the extradition process proceeded.