The body of 8-year-old Narin Güran, who went missing on August 21 in Çulî neighborhood of Rezan (Bağlar) district of Amed (Diyarbakır), was found in a sack on the 19th day (September 8) in Eğertutmaz Creek, one and a half kilometers from the neighborhood, which had been searched twice before. The Diyarbakır Governor's Office announced that Güran had been left in the creek bed after she was killed, but did not answer questions on the grounds of “secrecy” in the case. 

 

PROSECUTOR'S REPORT 

 

In the prosecutor's report, the prosecutor's office stated that “no evidence of a penetrating tool or gunshot wound or internal bleeding could be found” and emphasized that the cause and time of death were uncertain due to the decomposition of the body and that the exact cause of death would be determined by molecular examinations, pathological studies and examinations to be carried out by the Biology Specialization Department of the Diyarbakır Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK), and examinations to be carried out on the samples sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution. 

 

UNCLE ARRESTED, 24 DETAINED 

 

Güran's preliminary autopsy report revealed a lesion on his neck and a fracture on his foot. It was also stated that there was a high possibility that the body had been moved and this was being investigated. Salim Güran, Narin Güran's uncle and neighborhood mukhtar, was arrested on September 2 as part of the investigation conducted by the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor's Office. The previous day, 24 people were detained within the scope of the same investigation, including her mother Yüksel Güran, father Arif Güran, 3 uncles and her older brother Enes Güran, who was detained during the search for Narin because he had a bite mark on his arm.

 

NO DATA RELEASED FOR 8 YEARS

 

With Narin's murder, eyes once again turned to the deaths of children. It is noteworthy that the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), which announced that a total of 104,531 children went missing in Turkey between 2008 and 2016, has not shared data on missing children for 8 years. According to the data in the “Statistics on Children Arriving or Brought to Security Units” report dated August 2, 2023, the number of incidents involving children in 2022 was announced as 601 thousand 754. In the report, 259 thousand 106 of the children were victims, 206 thousand 853 were dragged into crime, 100 thousand 490 of them were asked for information and 16 thousand 499 of them were missing.

 

MUSTAFA, ECRIN AND YUSUF STILL MISSING

 

While there have been many cases of people like Narin Güran who disappeared and were later found murdered, most of the trials in these cases have ended with impunity. In 2018, cases such as Sami Yusuf Marangoz, whose body was found after he disappeared in Bedlis (Bitlis), and Ufuk Tatar (6), who was found murdered in Hatay's Hassa district, were covered up without even being prosecuted. 2-and-a-half-year-old Mustafa Demir, who disappeared on July 3, 2004 in Trabzon Sürmene, Yusuf Kazdal, who disappeared on March 30, 2009 in Trabzon's Of district, and 5-year-old Ecrin Tunç, who disappeared in 2015 after going to buy candy in Harmanlı village of Mêrdîn's Midyad district. 

 

SOME OF THE MISSING CHILDREN 

 

We have compiled some of the children found murdered after their disappearance and the results of their trials:

 

Medina Memi (16): She was reported missing by her family on December 3, 2009 in Kolik (Kahta) district of Semsûr (Adıyaman). 40 days later she was found buried in the garden of their house. Detained father Ayhan Memi and grandfather Fethi Memi were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of “delibrate killing of a human being by inflicting cruelty or torment” at Adıyaman Heavy Penal Court.  

 

Gizem Akdeniz (4): On April 27, 2014, she disappeared while playing on the street in Tellidere neighborhood of Adana. 36 hours later she was found murdered. Uncle Süleyman Akdeniz, who was on trial for Gizem's murder, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “delibrate killing a human being by inflicting cruelty or torment” and 12 years in prison for “deprivation of liberty” by Manisa 2nd Assize Court. 

 

Mert Aydın (9): He went missing on April 6, 2014 in İstasyon neighborhood of Qers (Kars) and was found murdered on April 7. As a result of the trial, Mert Aydın's murderer Aykut Balk was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “killing to conceal a crime or to hide the evidence of another crime or to avoid being caught”, 21 years for “qualified sexual abuse of a child” and 15 years for “deprivation of liberty by force, threat or deception” by Erzurum 1st High Criminal Court. 

 

Irmak Kupal (4): She disappeared while playing in front of her house on October 14, 2016 in Menderes neighborhood of Alaşehir district of Manisa. Her body was found in vineyards on October 22. Irmak's murderer Himmet Aktürk was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment and 51 years in prison for “delibrate killing of a child or a person who is physically or mentally incapable of defending himself or herself with the intent to conceal a crime or to hide the evidence of another crime or to avoid being caught” by Alaşehir Heavy Penal Court. 

 

Eylül Umutlu (6): On May 31, 2017, she went missing in Koru town of Yalova's Çınarcık district and was found murdered the next day. Murat Şahin Akyüz was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment once each for “qualified sexual abuse of a child” and “delibrate killing” and 18 years for “deprivation of liberty” by Yalova High Criminal Court. 

 

Leyla Aydemir (4): Leyla Aydemir (4) went missing on June 15, 2018 in Bezirhane village in Agirî, where she had gone to visit her grandfather with her family for Eid al-Fitr. 18 days later, her body was found 2 kilometers away from the village among the trees near a stream. A lawsuit was filed against 7 defendants on Ağrı Heavy Penal Court No 1 in relation to Aydemir's death. Uncle Yusuf Aydemir was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “delibrate killing” and 4 years in prison for “deprivation of liberty by force and fraud”, while the other defendants were acquitted. However, after the verdict was overturned by the Erzurum Regional Court of Appeals, all defendants were acquitted in the retrial. Although the lawyers appealed the verdict, Erzurum Regional Court of Appeals upheld the acquittals. 

 

Eylül Yağlıkara (8): She went missing on June 22, 2018 in Polatlı district of Ankara. Her body was found 7 days later buried at the base of a power pole near Yüzükbaşı neighborhood. In the trial held by Ankara 7th Assize Court, murderer Uğur Koçyiğit was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “delibrate killing of a child”, 30 years for “qualified sexual abuse of a child” and 12 years for “deprivation of liberty of a child”. Her mother Huriye Koçyiğit was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months for “aiding delibrate killing of a child” and 2 years and 6 months for “deprivation of liberty of a child”. 

 

Ecrin Kurnaz (1.5): She went missing on May 7, 2019 in Vezirköprü district of Samsun, and was found murdered 20 days later, 6 kilometers away from where she disappeared. Within the scope of the investigation conducted by Vezirköprü Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, step-grandmother Hacer Kurnaz was arrested on June 25th on the charges of “causing the death of a dependent child by negligence” and stepfather Deniz Kurnaz, Hasan S. and Mesut Y. were arrested on the charges of “soliciting, encouraging, mediating and providing a place for prostitution”. At the hearing held at Vezirköprü Heavy Penal Court on July 24, 2020, Hacer Kurnaz was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison for “causing death by negligence”, but was released considering the time she had served in prison. While the other defendants were acquitted, the prosecutor's office issued a decision of non-prosecution against step-uncle Özkan Kurnaz and H.Ö. 

  

Ikranur Tirsi (7): She went missing in Bulancak district of Giresun on June 26, 2020 and was found murdered 4 days later in Adaköy Stream. Her 14-year-old uncle S.T. and aunt A.Ç. were arrested on February 15, 2021. At the hearing held at Giresun 2nd High Criminal Court on October 28, the uncle was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of “delibrate killing of a relative child”. However, his sentence was reduced to 11 years because he was a minor when he committed the crime and was considered as a child dragged into crime. For aunt, who was charged with “destroying, concealing or altering the evidence of a crime”, the upper limit of 5 years was reduced to 4 years and 2 months with a good behavior discount and she was released considering the time she was under arrest. 

 

Müslüme Yağal (3): She went missing on November 10, 2021 in the countryside of Yanışlı neighborhood of Gülnar district of Mersin while her family, who are nomads, were pitching a tent. On November 19, her lifeless body was found in a rural area in the district. In the trial held by Silifke 2nd High Criminal Court, grandfather Hasan Yağal was sentenced to 45 years and 12 months in total for “delibrate killing”, “qualified sexual abuse of a child” and “deprivation of liberty by using force, threat and trickery for sexual purposes”. Grandmother Ayşe Yağal, mother Selvi Yağal and brother O. Yağal were acquitted on charges of “favoring the guilty”. 

 

MA / Tolga Güney