Turkish prosecutors have reopened and expanded the investigation into the 2015 armed attack on the Fenerbahçe team bus, using mobile phone records, cell tower data, footprint evidence and forensic findings to identify five suspects allegedly involved in the planned shooting.
An indictment submitted to the Trabzon High Criminal Court seeks prison sentences for all five suspects, including those in custody, for allegedly attempting to deliberately murder all 39 people aboard the bus and damaging property.
The attack took place on April 4, 2015, when a bus carrying the Fenerbahçe squad back from an away match against Rizespor came under shotgun fire in the Soğuksu neighborhood of the Sürmene district in Trabzon.
The team bus, bearing registration number 53 DE 618, was traveling along a viaduct when gunfire struck the vehicle. Ufuk Kıran, the driver, was seriously wounded, while the players and coaching staff narrowly escaped what could have been a far more devastating incident.
The initial investigation continued for several years before prosecutors issued a decision in 2020 not to pursue further proceedings. However, newly obtained evidence in 2026 prompted authorities to overturn that decision and reopen the investigation, leading to a more extensive examination of the attack.
The resulting indictment, accompanied by a 12-volume evidence file, argues that the shooting was carried out through a coordinated plan involving five suspects identified as Yusuf Ö., Hakan H., Emiral A., Özgür E. and Özden R.K.
Investigators focused heavily on digital evidence from the night of the attack, examining communication records and signals from multiple mobile phone towers.
According to the indictment, the communication traffic involving the five suspects peaked at approximately 10:18 p.m., around the time of the shooting.
One of the key findings concerned Yusuf Ö., who maintained that he was at home when the attack occurred. However, cell tower records obtained from the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) reportedly contradicted his account.
An examination of data from 54 different base stations found that Yusuf Ö.'s mobile phone had connected to a tower in the Yemişli neighborhood of Sürmene before the attack. The same tower also received signals from the Fenerbahçe team bus and members of its delegation.
Investigators also identified a footprint along a path leading toward the attack site. The location of the footprint was found to be consistent with the route associated with the suspect's residence, providing another piece of evidence examined as part of the investigation.
The indictment argues that the attack was not a random shooting but a deliberate operation planned in advance, with different suspects allegedly assigned specific roles.
Hakan H., Emiral A. and Özgür E. are accused of tracking the Fenerbahçe team bus as it traveled through the area and acting as lookouts. They allegedly relayed information about the vehicle's movements to Yusuf Ö. and Özden R.K., who were reportedly positioned at the attack site.
Investigators also recovered a Superpoze 12-gauge shotgun from Devran Creek, approximately 130 meters from where the shooting took place.
Forensic examinations indicated that the weapon fired large buckshot pellets known as şevrotin. Investigators concluded that the shots were fired from approximately 40 meters away, within the weapon's effective range.
The findings further indicated that the bus was deliberately targeted at the driver's cabin, rather than being struck by indiscriminate gunfire.
Prosecutors emphasized that both shots were directed toward the driver's compartment and the head area of Ufuk Kıran, indicating an alleged intention to kill him.
However, the indictment argues that the potential consequences extended far beyond the driver.
The bus was traveling at high speed when it came under fire. With the driver seriously wounded, the vehicle risked losing control and plunging down an embankment or into the sea, potentially killing everyone on board.
On that basis, prosecutors concluded that the alleged attack endangered all 39 people aboard, including the footballers and coaching staff, and sought to charge the five suspects with attempted premeditated murder involving all occupants.
The indictment also includes a charge of property damage. The case has been referred to the Trabzon High Criminal Court, marking a significant development in an investigation that remained unresolved for more than a decade.
