Yiğit Bekçe was born in 1977 in the town of Gemlik, located in Turkey’s Bursa Province. Little publicly available information exists regarding his early childhood or family background, though court records and investigative reporting indicate that his upbringing was marked by instability and early exposure to criminal behavior.

Bekçe did not complete his formal education, dropping out during secondary school. By the age of 17, he had already entered the criminal justice system. Over the following years, he accumulated an extensive criminal record, ultimately totaling 18 prior convictions before 2006. These offenses included assault, extortion, theft, and other violent or property-related crimes. His repeated encounters with law enforcement demonstrated a sustained pattern of criminal conduct rather than isolated incidents.

Throughout his late teens and twenties, Bekçe lived a largely transient lifestyle and did not maintain long-term lawful employment. By the mid-2000s, he was struggling with substance abuse, particularly drug addiction, which further contributed to his instability and involvement in criminal activity.

On 20 October 2006, Yiğit Bekçe and his accomplice rented a vehicle and began a rapid, multi-city crime spree across Turkey. Armed with a shotgun, they targeted roadside businesses and isolated workers, primarily along major highways. Their attacks were characterized by speed, minimal interaction with victims, and lethal violence.

The first known victim was Hüseyin Çalışkan, a 20-year-old candy shop clerk working along the Bursa–Yalova Highway. He was shot and killed at approximately 10:30 p.m. on 20 October 2006. Roughly five hours later, during the early morning of 21 October, the pair murdered Fatih Kılıç, a 21-year-old store employee near the İzmit highway.

The killings continued on 22 October 2006, with Bekçe participating in the shooting death of Mehmet Çakır, a gas station attendant in Hendek. Shortly afterward, they killed Özkan Köse, a kiosk owner in Mersin. Later that same day, the pair hijacked a vehicle along the Pozantı–Çamalan Highway. The driver, Bekir Ciritçi, aged 40, was subsequently shot and killed.

In the early hours of 23 October 2006, the spree reached its conclusion in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district. At approximately 1:20 a.m., two more victims were murdered: Enver Aycık, a gas station attendant, and Necati Yücel, a store employee.

From the first murder to their arrest, Bekçe and his accomplice traveled approximately 1,944 kilometers in just over 52 hours, killing seven people and injuring two others. Surveillance footage captured at one of the gas stations proved crucial in identifying the perpetrators.

Both men were arrested later on 23 October 2006, bringing the killing spree to an end. The case was widely reported in Turkish media and marked the first recognized spree killing of its kind in the country’s modern criminal history.

Due to the geographic spread of the crimes, Yiğit Bekçe was prosecuted in six separate jurisdictions, each corresponding to the locations of the murders. The legal proceedings took place between 2007 and 2011, resulting in multiple trials rather than a single consolidated case.

In 2011, Bekçe was convicted for his role in all seven murders. The court sentenced him to five consecutive life sentences, along with an additional 40 years and 6 months of imprisonment for related offenses. The sentences were imposed consecutively, ensuring that he would spend the remainder of his life in prison.

A third individual, Celal Okumuş, who had been charged in connection with the case, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking him to the murders.

Following the convictions, the family of victim Bekir Ciritçi filed a civil lawsuit against the Adana Police Department, alleging negligence that they claimed contributed to his death. The court ultimately dismissed the case, and no compensation was awarded. Yiğit Bekçe remains incarcerated in Turkey, serving multiple life sentences.