A convoy carrying MHP Kahramanmaraş Deputy Zuhal Karakoç and MHP Kahramanmaraş Provincial Chairman Mansur Metehan collided with a van on the Afşin-Elbistan highway on October 11, 2026, leaving one person dead and multiple occupants injured. Emergency crews transported the wounded to Afşin State Hospital as officials opened an investigation into the crash.
Crash Occurs on the Afşin-Elbistan Highway
The crash occurred on the Afşin-Elbistan highway near the Gerger Neighborhood intersection, involving a 07 L 6050 license plate van and a 46 AY 069 license plate automobile. Emergency medical teams, gendarmerie, police, and fire crews rushed to the scene after the vehicles collided under undetermined circumstances.
Samet Özdemir, who was inside the van, lost his life in the incident as the impact caused heavy damage, leaving the automobile on the central reservation while the van overturned following the collision near the Afşin State Hospital junction.
Officials Sustaining Injuries During District Visits
The automobile carried MHP Kahramanmaraş Deputy Zuhal Karakoç alongside MHP Kahramanmaraş Provincial Chairman Mansur Metehan, a protection police officer, and a driver while the delegation traveled for scheduled district visits.
Several outlets reported a total of seven wounded individuals, including Deputy Karakoç, the protection officer, Provincial Chairman Metehan, and four others, while other initial bulletins indicated four total injuries resulting from the impact. Zuhal Karakoç Dora was born in Kahramanmaraş in 1983 and completed her undergraduate studies in English Language Teaching and International Relations at Anadolu University. She earned a master's degree in International Relations from Gazi University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, followed by a doctorate in International Relations from Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, eventually receiving the title of associate professor. Her professional background includes working in the private sector as a teacher and coordinator, serving as a translator and consultant in embassies, and acting as editor-in-chief for an international journal. From 2016 to 2018, she served as the Head of the Strategy Development Department at the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), subsequently working as Deputy Head of Strategy at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey before being elected as a Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy for Kahramanmaraş in the 2023 general elections, and she is married with one child.
Medical Teams Treating Wounded at Afşin State Hospital
Medical personnel administered initial aid directly on the highway before transferring the wounded via ambulances to Afşin State Hospital for ongoing treatment and observation. Social media updates relayed by regional contacts reported that both Karakoç and Metehan were in good condition following the checks, even though some reports noted that leaders were admitted as a precautionary measure.
Investigators examined the precise trajectory and cause of the crash as security forces established traffic controls along the Afşin-Göksun and Afşin-Elbistan corridors.