Police found the body of 64-year-old Agop (Hakob) Degirmencioglu in a residential building in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district. Mehmet Serif Tayik, 45, who was detained on suspicion of murder, confessed to the killing, Ermenihaber reports.
Turkish media reported that Mehmet S. T. called police and informed them of a foul smell coming from the building. Officers who arrived at the scene found Agop Degirmencioglu’s lifeless body in an apartment. Turkish media claim that Degirmencioglu was a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
During an examination of the scene, stab wounds were found on the back and sides of the man’s neck. Degirmencioglu’s body was sent for forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Police classified the incident as a homicide and launched a more detailed investigation. Mehmet S. T., one of the last people to have seen Agop Degirmencioglu, initially told investigators that he had found the man motionless when he entered the building.
During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement officers found inconsistencies in his testimony, after which Mehmet S. T. was detained.
During a second police interrogation, the man confessed to the killing. According to his account, an argument broke out between him and Agop Degirmencioglu over rent. The suspect claimed that he was severely insulted, after which he stabbed and killed the man.
After police procedures were completed, the suspect was taken to court. The court ordered his detention on a charge of intentional homicide, after which he was transferred to prison.
Local resident Celal Kilic also commented on the incident. He said he had known Agop for many years and described him as a peaceful and friendly person. According to Kilic, Agop had lived in the same building for many years despite its poor condition.
Kilic also said Agop was killed not inside the apartment but on the building’s stairs or in a corridor. According to his account, the suspect himself called police about two days after the incident to report a foul smell in the building and later confessed to the killing.
