ISTANBUL — 1990 · Murder

Assassination of writer Turan Dursun

SolvedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

Turan Dursun, a former mufti and writer known for his works critical of religion, was shot dead outside his home in Koşuyolu, Istanbul, on 4 September 1990. The investigation led to a radical religious network also linked to other attacks on intellectuals in the mid-1990s. At trial, the person who ordered the killing was sentenced to life imprisonment, while the gunman was reported to be a fugitive. Dursun is often mentioned in discussions of assassinations of secular intellectuals.

Date: 1990
Place: Kadıköy, Istanbul
Category: Murder
Case Status: Solved
Coordinates: 41.0120, 29.0410 ↗

Timeline of Events

4 September 1990Turan Dursun was killed outside his home.
1990sThe investigation led to a radical religious network.

1997The organisation's trial was widely reported.
TrialThe instigator got life imprisonment; the gunman remained at large.

Sources

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