A man who butchered a young bride-to-be with a samurai sword in the street has been jailed for 30 years.
Basak Canzig, 28 was killed in the largest city of Turkey, Istanbul after being picked at random by the attacker, Can Goktug Boz.
The killer, 27, proceeded to murder her with a samurai sword on November 9 2021.
Ms Canzig was an architect who was soon due to be married when she was attacked at random while walking down the street.
Boz, armed with a 75-centimetre (30-inch) samurai sword, later confessed he picked her despite not knowing her as he wanted to kill a woman “because it is easier”.
The bride-to-be was employed as an architect in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, and was in Istanbul for a work assignment when she was killed.
Ms Canzig had missed the shuttle bus between her office and hotel, so she decided to walk to work. Disturbing CCTV footage captured the moment she was attacked in the street.
Boz told prosecutors last year: "On the day of the incident, I was feeling frustrated and depressed. I acted in a moment of anger."
He added: "I chose to kill a woman because it is easier to kill a woman. I don't know the victim.”
"The sword was in the bag, and after I saw the victim, I walked after her, and when I caught up, I took the sword out of my bag and stabbed her four times.
"Then I went home, and my sadness and feelings of depression melted away. I'm not normally that kind of person, so I'm surprised at myself. I regret what I did."
The murder weapon was found in his apartment, as well as phrases written on the walls such as ‘stab them in the stomach’, ‘set a trap’ and ‘kill those who argue’.
Now a Court of Appeal has upheld the perpetrator's life sentence for the brutal murder, jailing him for 30 years.
Originally, the sentence was handed down in April this year. He was also given an additional five-year sentence for firearm-related offences.
A life sentence in Turkey is 24 years in prison, whereas an ‘aggravated life sentence’ lasts until the death of the convict. Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment can be paroled after serving at least 30 years or 36 years if they are given more than one sentence.
Femicide is a growing problem in Turkey, particularly after the country officially quit the Istanbul Convention in July 2021.
A total of 280 women were killed by men in Turkey in 2021, while 217 women were found suspiciously dead, according to the 2021 Annual Data Report announced by the 'We Will Stop Femicide Platform'.
Data from the 'Monument Counter', which is "a digital memorial for women killed by violence" and is updated daily, shows 309 femicides have taken place in Turkey so far this year.
