Istanbul investigation reveals second Uzbek victim in brutal murder case

On January 24, a headless body was found inside a garbage container in the Feriköy neighborhood of Istanbul’s Şişli district. Turkish authorities later confirmed that the remains belonged to 37-year-old Durdona Hakimova, an Uzbek citizen. Other body parts were subsequently discovered in separate waste containers.

Local media reported that the body had been dismembered, placed in a suitcase and discarded. Two Uzbek nationals were detained while allegedly attempting to flee Turkey to Georgia by air.

During the investigation into Hakimova’s killing, police uncovered evidence of a second victim – 32-year-old Sayyora Ergashalieva, born in 1994 in Namangan region. She had been reported missing since January 23.

According to preliminary information shared by the Uzbek Consulate General, the two women and the suspects had lunch together on January 22 at a restaurant in Istanbul’s Fatih district. During the meeting, an argument reportedly broke out between Ergashalieva and one of the suspects, allegedly linked to her intention to return to Uzbekistan.

Investigators believe that on January 23 the suspects killed Ergashalieva with a knife, dismembered her body and disposed of the remains in garbage containers in the Fatih district. The following day, they allegedly used her mobile phone to send messages to Hakimova, luring her to the apartment. She was then reportedly killed in a similar manner, and her body parts were discarded in Şişli.

Security camera footage from around the rented apartment in the Ümraniye district shows suspects carrying black bags out of the building on multiple occasions. In one instance, they were seen transporting a white suitcase by taxi to Şişli, where it was thrown into a waste container.

The Uzbek Consulate General stated that although media reports have claimed Ergashalieva’s body was found, no remains had yet been delivered to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute at the time of the statement. The consulate said it is closely monitoring the situation and cooperating with Turkish law enforcement authorities.

Turkish media reported that the suspects have confessed and that a court has ordered their pre-trial detention. Case materials have been submitted to the court, while investigative procedures continue.

Authorities have not yet released comprehensive official statements regarding the second victim. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.