Background
Adnan Çolak was the defendant in a series of killings in and around Artvin, in northeastern Turkey, in the early 1990s. The press called him the "Axe Killer" and the "Artvin Monster"; these nicknames are media labels. Most victims were elderly people living on their own, aged roughly 68 to 95.
What happened
According to published accounts, the series began on 16 October 1992 in the village of Seyitler, where a couple was killed. Over roughly three years a total of 11 people died, six of them women. Elderly residents of villages in the area lived in considerable fear during this period.
The statement of a person who survived an attack proved decisive in moving the investigation forward and leading to the suspect's arrest. Çolak is generally understood to have been caught in 1995.
Trial
The trial lasted about five years. The Zonguldak 1st High Criminal Court handed down a total sentence of 112 years of aggravated imprisonment. Some sources instead describe six death sentences plus 40 years in prison, with the death sentences later commuted to life. Because of this discrepancy, court records should be consulted for the exact sentence.
Reports also disagree on Çolak's year of birth and on whether he has since been released, so only consistent information is included here.
Legacy
The Artvin killings are remembered in Turkey as a moment that raised debate about the safety of elderly people in rural areas. The victims and their families should not be overshadowed by sensational retellings; this archive exists to remember them.