Extreme sports: Hakan said he had taken out the policy to cover the couple's extreme lifestyle. Photo / Facebook Semra Aysal
Extreme sports: Hakan said he had taken out the policy to cover the couple's extreme lifestyle. Photo / Facebook Semra Aysal
Turkish police have accused a man of murder after he lured his pregnant wife to a perilous selfie spot, from which she did not return.
Bystanders caught the chilling scene on camera as Hakan Aysal, 40, led wife Semra, 32, down the rocky side of the cliff in Mugla, in June 2018.
Semra fell to her death during the couple's holiday to the popular Mediterranean region of Butterfly Valley.
However prosecutors have now accused Hakan of murdering his wife, pushing her from the 300-metre cliff shortly after taking out insurance against her life.
Police uncovered the policy for personal accident insurance for up to $75000 to be a significant motive and the defenant has since been accused of taking out further loans in his wife's name.
The court heard that Hakan had tried to claim the insurance following Semra's death, but was declined when news of the investigation reached the insurer. However, Hakan said his wife's death was a tragic accident while they were taking selfies.
Butterfly Valley: The couple had been holidaying on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Photo / Mert Kahveci, Unsplash
During a video trial at the Fethiye High Criminal Court, prosecutors said Hakan "planned the murder of his wife by first taking out a personal accident insurance on her behalf with a guarantee of 400,000 Turkish lira ($75000) and where the only beneficiary was himself."
Appearing via video link to testify, Naim Yolcu, the victim's brother described how his family were "destroyed" by the news.
"My sister was always against taking out loans," Yolcu told the court. "But, after she died, we learned that she had three loans taken by Hakan on behalf of my sister."
In an appeal for further information, tourists came forward to submit footage they had captured of the couple, moments before the incident.
Talking to The Sun - which published sections of the video online - the unnamed tourist said he had seen Hakan "acting strangely," and began surreptitiously filming the couple when he "predicted that one of the pair would fall off the cliff."
The footage is being used as part of the investigation.
Hakan defended the insurance policy, telling the court: "I have been interested in extreme sports since 2014; parachute, bungee jumping, rafting. That is why I had life insurance before I got married".
He said he was not aware that he was named as the sole heir in the policy. "I just brought it to my wife to get it signed. I was not aware that there was such an article."
Semra also enjoyed taking selfies to document the couples' exploits. The couple's photos on adventure holidays were used as articles for the defence.
At the time of the accident Hakan says he was getting Semra's phone from his bag, and did not see the incident:
"When I turned back, she was not there," he said. "I did not push my wife."
