Five Turkish press, publishing and writers organizations have asked the Justice Ministry to review the files on the 1948 killing of novelist Sabahattin Ali and locate his remains, saying questions about his death have gone unanswered for 78 years.
Ali, best known internationally for “Kürk Mantolu Madonna” (Madonna in a Fur Coat), was killed at the age of 41 while attempting to leave Turkey for Bulgaria. A man who had agreed to guide him across the border confessed to the killing, but his account has long been disputed. Ali’s grave has never been located.
The Turkish Journalists Association (TGC), the Turkish Publishers Association, the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), the Turkish Writers Union (TYS) and PEN Turkey submitted their joint request Monday.
The appeal follows the government’s pledge to pursue unsolved murders through a special Justice Ministry department established in April. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that month that 638 investigation files across 75 provinces were under review, with particular attention to killings of women and children.
In September Gürlek reiterated that the ministry would continue pursuing unsolved cases regardless of how many years had passed.
The five organizations want Ali’s case included in that work. Their request calls for the Department for the Investigation of Unsolved Crimes to coordinate a review of the original investigation and trial records, including the case against Ali Ertekin, who confessed to killing Ali, and the amnesty under which he was released.
At the center of the appeal are allegations that Ali was detained while under surveillance by security and intelligence services and died from mistreatment or torture. Those claims have never been independently and thoroughly investigated, according to the organizations.
Uncertainty over the identification of his body, the whereabouts of his remains after an autopsy and gaps in court records have left further questions unanswered.
To address those gaps, the petition calls for searches of police, gendarmerie, intelligence and other state archives. It also seeks the identification of Ali’s burial place and, if possible, DNA testing and forensic examination of his remains with his relatives’ consent. Any findings should be made public.
The passage of nearly eight decades could raise questions about time limits for prosecution. But the organizations argue that those limits should not prevent archival research or efforts to identify his remains, particularly with the forensic methods now available.
Their appeal also invokes constitutional protections for the right to life and the rule of law. Establishing whether Ali was targeted for his political views, they argue, is a matter of press freedom and freedom of expression as well as justice for his family.
Born in 1907, Ali was a novelist, short-story writer, poet and journalist whose works also include “Kuyucaklı Yusuf” (Yusuf from Kuyucak) and “İçimizdeki Şeytan” (The Devil Within Us).
His journalism brought him into repeated conflict with the government. In 1946 he founded the satirical newspaper Markopaşa with Aziz Nesin, a Turkish humorist and short-story writer known for his political satire. Rıfat Ilgaz, a poet and novelist best known for “Hababam Sınıfı,” a comic account of school life later adapted into popular films, subsequently joined its staff.
A left-wing critic of the government, Ali faced repeated prosecution and imprisonment over his writing. Unable to obtain a passport, he attempted to cross into Bulgaria in 1948.
According to Ertekin’s account, he killed Ali near the border on April 2. A body believed to be Ali’s was found near Kırklareli in northwestern Turkey on June 16, but its identification remains disputed.
Ertekin was sentenced to four years in prison and later released under an amnesty.
Researchers and people close to Ali have challenged the account that Ertekin acted alone. Some have alleged that Ertekin had intelligence connections or that Ali died under torture during interrogation. Those allegations remain unresolved.
Efforts to obtain official answers have continued in parliament. In December 2025 Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Mustafa Adıgüzel submitted questions seeking access to records about the killing and information on Ali’s burial place.
The Justice Ministry’s February 2 response cited judicial independence and constitutional restrictions on giving instructions to courts but did not answer the specific questions, Cumhuriyet reported.
Ali’s daughter, Filiz Ali, 89, is a pianist, musicologist and author who was 10 when her father was killed. She has written books about his life and continued to seek answers about his death and the whereabouts of his remains.
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