Families react to unfounded claims and images on social media following the horrific accident in Rize

The traffic accident that occurred in the Çayeli district of Rize on the night of Tuesday, June 23, resulting in the loss of three young lives, continues to send shockwaves, while the events unfolding in the social media environment regarding the incident have deepened the families' grief. The families of Gamze Saklı, Nilay Bilgin, and Selinay Saral, who have been laid to rest, could not remain silent against the unjust and unfounded shares made following the horrific accident. Fethi Bilgin, the cousin of Nilay Bilgin who was inside the vehicle during the accident and who spoke on behalf of the families, expressed that they experienced great disappointment not only due to their pain but also because of the perception being created in the public eye and the violation of privacy. Fethi Bilgin emphasized that the circulation of images of the moment of the accident and unfounded audio recordings in the digital environment caused a second shock to the grieving family members.

Speaking about the chain of events, Fethi Bilgin recounted that the four friends were sitting in a park on the Çayeli coastline just before the accident and then set off towards Rize, but unfortunately, this journey ended in tragedy. However, he stated that the main problem was the behavior of some individuals at the scene who acted devoid of human values in an attempt to satisfy their curiosity while the tragedy was unfolding. He expressed that those who recorded the horrific scene to break 'sharing records' on social media instead of intervening in the accident added disrespect to the families' pain. Bilgin criticized the situation with anger, saying, 'False statements and comments are a grave situation; should the families of the 3 people reflect on losing their children or on the comments made?'

One of the most concrete examples of cyberbullying and digital immorality emerged with a voice recording sent to Fethi Bilgin's phone before the bodies were even released from the Forensic Medicine Institute morgue. This recording, edited and spread under the title of 'conversation between police officers', thrust the family into a great struggle even before they could receive the bodies. Acting immediately upon the possibility that the incoming fragment could be real, Bilgin approached the situation with common sense and applied to the police department to have the authorities listen to the recording, learning that the source was not the police but a passerby at the scene. It was determined that this person had committed a serious negligence by recording the moment of the accident to show off to friends.

Following the examination by security forces, it was shared that the audio recording in question did not originate from police radios or conversations between personnel, but was recorded by a citizen at the time of the accident and spread via private messages. Fethi Bilgin stated that the issue was not just a situation concerning his own family but a moral bankruptcy that needs to be questioned from a social perspective. He highlighted the gravity of the trauma caused by a family, having just received the bodies, encountering such fake news and the damage such behaviors inflict on the general conscience of society. After the incident became known, the authorities informed the family that they would provide the necessary support regarding filing criminal complaints in the digital environment.

On the other hand, warnings were issued that comments made on social media and allegations raised would be legally pursued, and that such shares constitute the crimes of insult and insult to privacy. The families, who are already devastated due to their immense loss, are forced to deal with not just false information but also a series of speculative tabloid narratives. This event once again highlighted how important the right to privacy and respect for grief are in the digital age. The grieving family conveyed the message that their only wish is for their children to rest in peace, and for society not to remain indifferent to this tragedy and not to exploit the incident unnecessarily.