Turkish businessman found dead in Bukhara; suspects are compatriots

A Turkish businessman was killed in a desert area of the Karakulbazar district in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region and buried at the scene. The suspects in the murder are reportedly his own compatriots. They were detained in Istanbul as a result of a joint operation by the law enforcement agencies of the two countries.

The victim’s body was discovered on October 17, 2025, in a desert area of Karakulbazar by a local shepherd. The corpse, partially covered with soil, was identified as 49-year-old Kadir Tunç, who had previously been reported missing in Turkey by his relatives. The murder is believed to have been committed over a debt dispute. Four suspects have been detained and referred to court.

According to preliminary investigations conducted by Uzbek law enforcement authorities, the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and the victim had been stabbed to death. During the investigation, authorities were able to identify the license plate number of a vehicle that had passed through the area. The car was found to have been rented by a Turkish citizen, 51-year-old Suat T., who resides in Istanbul. Blood traces were discovered in the vehicle, and forensic analysis confirmed that the samples matched the victim.

Based on this evidence, officers of the Istanbul Police Department placed Suat T. under surveillance. Investigators established that he had met with Kadir Tunç in Uzbekistan on May 28, 2025, in connection with plans to open a restaurant. Tunç was officially reported missing by his cousin on June 3, 2025.

Police compared DNA samples provided by Uzbekistan with samples taken from Tunç’s children. The results confirmed that the body found in Uzbekistan belonged to Kadir Tunç.

Officers from the Homicide Department detained four suspects, including Suat T. During questioning, the suspects reportedly confessed to the crime.

In his testimony, Suat T. stated that he and two friends had traveled to Uzbekistan to prepare for signing a contract to open a restaurant with Tunç.

“We went to Uzbekistan first to finalize the contract. Two days later, Kadir Tunç joined us. However, we failed to reach an agreement and decided to cancel the deal,” he said.

After the contract was canceled, an argument reportedly broke out between them while they were returning by car.

“I was driving, and Kadir was sitting next to me. I had given him $20,000 for the contract. When the deal fell through, I asked for the money back. He said he had already spent it and could not return it. An argument started between us,” Suat T. said.

According to his statement, the dispute escalated into a physical altercation, forcing him to stop the vehicle.

“I do not remember exactly what I did during the fight. I lost control of myself. At one point, I saw him covered in blood. Shortly after, he died. We panicked. We moved the body off the main road, but we could not dig a deep grave. We covered it with soil and fled back to Istanbul,” he said.

He added that after the incident, they were unable to return the rented vehicle immediately. A friend was later sent to Uzbekistan with money to return the car to the rental company. The friend was reportedly unaware of the murder.