THE FUNERAL has taken place of a policewoman who served at the foreigners’ bureau at Didim Police Station after an apparent murder-suicide incident.

Hatice Alper Kavalcı (43) was found with a single shot wound to the dead on Monday (Dec 22) at her apartment in Aydin, next to the body of her husband of four months, retired teacher Cevdet, aged 65. A gun was found nearby.

Hatice was a popular officer and had served at the foreigners’ desk at Didim Police Station where she helped scores of foreign residents apply for their permits.

She was later assigned and was serving as the personal bodyguard of CHP Aydin Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu at the time of her death.

Zaman Newspaper said reports indicated it was Officer Kavalcı’s gun that caused the couple’s fatal wounds.

The newspaper also added that according to a preliminary examination by the police, the female officer shot her husband before shooting herself.

However, Hurriyet Newspaper contradicted this saying there were three possible scenarios the police were looking at: they had been killed by unknown assailants; the husband killed her and then committed suicide with the same gun, or that she shot herself and then he shot himself.

Her body was taken to her home town of Buca, Izmir, to be buried. Cevdet’s ceremony was attended by Didim Mayor Deniz Atabay, city council members and civil society representatives.

The couple had met as part of the Didim Mountaineering and Hiking events for members. They married on August 3, 2014.

Local media reported that Cevdet’s last online social media entry was 6.02pm on Saturday December 20, 2014. Shots were heard at about 8pm. Neighbours allege that Cevdet had reacted angrily to his wife’s new colour of hair.

After failing to see the couple for two days, neighbours contacted police and officers entered the property at 9.30am on Monday and discovered the bodies.