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A court in Yalova has released its reasoned ruling in the case over the death of singer Gül Tut, known by the stage name Güllü, concluding that Tut was killed by being pushed from a window by her daughter, Tuğyan Ülkem Gülter.

Yalova 1st Heavy Penal Court imposed an aggravated life sentence on Gülter for intentional killing of a woman and an ascendant, rejected any discretionary reduction and ordered that Gülter remain in custody.

Court cites witness testimony and forensic findings

The reasoned ruling states that the court concluded Tut was killed by her daughter, who threw her from a window. The court found the act fell under the offence of intentional killing of a woman and an ascendant, and imposed an aggravated life sentence. It also decided that there were no grounds for a discretionary reduction and that Gülter's detention should continue.

Statements by Sultan Nur Ulu, who was in the same room at the time of the incident, were counted among the important pieces of evidence. The ruling stressed that Ulu explained the discrepancy between an early statement, in which Ulu said the fall had not been seen, and the account given at the hearing by saying fear was the reason.

The court accepted Ulu's sworn testimony at the hearing after evaluating it together with earlier statements and other findings in the file. A forensic report found no residue of a substance that would have made the surface slippery in samples taken in front of the window where the incident occurred, and the court listed that report among the findings supporting the witness account. Tut's cause of death was recorded as severe body trauma and internal bleeding caused by a fall from a height.

Premeditation not established

The ruling recalled that both the indictment and the prosecutor's final opinion had sought a sentence for premeditated killing. The court found that the evidence did not conclusively establish when the defendant decided to kill or whether a period of time separating that decision from the act existed, which are elements of premeditation.

The court therefore held that the elements of premeditation were not formed. While finding that the defendant's act was proven, it convicted Gülter of intentional killing of a woman and an ascendant rather than premeditated killing. The ruling noted that an appeal can be filed at the Bursa Regional Court of Justice within two weeks of being served with the reasoned decision.

Defense says it will appeal

Defense lawyer Merve Uçanok said in a statement on a social media account that the conviction was unlawful and that they would apply to higher courts.

What happened

Gül Tut died after falling from a window of her home on the terrace floor of a six-storey building on Vali Akı Street in the Harmanlar neighborhood of the Çınarcık district on 26 September 2025. An investigation was opened by the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Tut's daughter, Tuğyan Ülkem Gülter, was arrested, while her friend Sultan Nur Ulu, who was in the same room at the time, was placed under house arrest. Ulu's father, Arif Ulu, and two other people were released after procedures at the prosecutor's office. Gülter's former fiancé, Kervan E., was also detained on suspicion of incitement to intentional killing and released under judicial controls, including a ban on leaving the country and a signature requirement.

The indictment

According to the indictment, Tut fell to the concrete ground from a height of 18.17 metres through the window of a room belonging to her daughter at 01:26 on the day of the incident. An expert report from Istanbul Technical University examined camera audio recordings and found that a young woman said "Let's talk again" just before the fall; investigators concluded the voice belonged to Gülter.

The indictment alleged that the suspect grabbed her mother with both hands below the hips, lifted her feet off the floor and threw her out of the window. Based on message records, witness statements, sound analyses, expert reports and conduct after the incident, prosecutors sought an aggravated life sentence for Gülter on a charge of premeditated intentional killing of an ascendant. A separate case was opened against Sultan Nur Ulu on a charge of false testimony, carrying a prison sentence of two to four years.

Key takeaways

• Yalova 1st Heavy Penal Court concluded that Gül Tut was thrown from a window by her daughter, Tuğyan Ülkem Gülter.
• Gülter received an aggravated life sentence for intentional killing of a woman and an ascendant, with no discretionary reduction and continued detention.
• The court rejected the premeditation charge sought in the indictment, saying the timing of the killing decision could not be established.
• Defense lawyer Merve Uçanok said the conviction is unlawful and that an appeal will be filed.