Türkiye seeks extradition of teen accused in deadly car accident in Istanbul

Authorities in Türkiye have formally requested the extradition of Timur Cihantimur, a teenager accused of killing a man in a traffic accident in Istanbul. The request comes as Cihantimur, who fled to the United States with his mother, remains detained in the U.S.

According to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, the extradition request has been submitted for the 17-year-old, who was involved in a fatal collision that resulted in the death of Oğuz Murat Aci in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district. The request has been sent to the U.S. Department of State for approval.

During Cihantimur’s time in US prison, he was beaten by three inmates, resulting in a broken tooth and slipped.

The incident, which gained significant media attention in Türkiye, occurred when Cihantimur’s vehicle struck a group of people inspecting an ATV on the emergency lane of a highway in Istanbul. Aci was killed, and Cihantimur fled the scene with his mother, prominent author Eylem Tok, shortly after the accident. They were apprehended 106 days later in the state of Massachusetts.

In court filings obtained by VOA, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Levy, representing the state of Massachusetts, asked the court to approve Cihantimur’s extradition to Türkiye ahead of an upcoming hearing. Levy emphasized that the charges Cihantimur faces, including manslaughter and causing injury by negligence, align with the extradition agreement between Türkiye and the U.S.

Levy also urged the court to certify the extradition decision and submit it to the U.S. Department of State. Meanwhile, the prosecution rejected a motion by Cihantimur’s defense attorneys to dismiss the case.

While a final extradition hearing is expected, Levy noted that it will hinge on whether the evidence provided by Türkiye meets the requirements of the bilateral agreement and U.S. legal standards for certification.

Cihantimur’s legal team had previously filed for his release, arguing that the teen had been following his mother’s decision to leave for the U.S. after the accident. They also submitted a psychiatric report for Cihantimur, but have requested that its contents remain sealed from the public.