Turkish police concluded a five-month investigation regarding a marriage proposal that resulted in the death of the proposed bride-to-be.

Nizamettin Gursu, the boyfriend of 39-year-old Yesim Demir, has been arrested in connection with her death. The incident took place during a cliffside marriage proposal in Canakkale, a city in northwestern Turkey on July 6. This event has prompted numerous questions and an in-depth police investigation.

Demir fell approximately 100 feet off a cliff during what was intended to be a romantic engagement. Gursu initially claimed that after Demir accepted his proposal, he had gone to his car to get celebration items. He reported hearing a scream and upon returning, discovered that Demir had fallen.

However, inconsistencies in Gursu’s story emerged during the police investigation. The engagement ring he said he had given Demir was found in its box in his pocket, not on her finger. Additionally, signs of a physical struggle were found at the site, including broken glasses and a music speaker.

Demir’s family has voiced their doubts about her acceptance of the proposal, citing her plans to end the relationship with Gursu. They also highlighted Demir’s panic attacks and her unlikely voluntary proximity to the cliff’s edge.

Despite surviving the initial 104-foot fall, Demir later succumbed to her injuries. 

Gursu, who had presented himself as a grieving fiancé, is now detained and awaiting trial following a complaint by Demir’s family.

Gursu had described the chosen location for its romantic significance and mentioned they had consumed alcohol before the incident. He stated, “We chose it to have a romantic memory after the proposal. Everything happened at once. She lost her balance and fell down.”

This case has brought attention to the issue of femicide in Turkey. The Monument Counter, a digital memorial for women killed by violence, reports a high number of women killed by men in Turkey, with at least 380 cases this year following 383 cases the previous year.