The murder trial of 8-year-old Narin Güran, who disappeared in August and was later found dead, began on Thursday at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court in Diyarbakır (Amed), a Kurdish-majority province in southeastern Turkey. Defendant Nevzat Bahtiyar claimed he had been offered money to take responsibility for the crime. He told the court, “I was offered money to confess, but I refused.”
Bahtiyar’s claim adds a new dimension to the case, which has already attracted significant public attention. Security was heightened at the courthouse as large crowds, including numerous lawyers, child and women’s rights organisations, members of parliament and civil society representatives, gathered early to observe the proceedings. Meral Danış Beştaş, co-spokesperson of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), was also present.
The case centres on the brutal killing of Narin Güran, whose body was found weeks after her disappearance, leading to charges of premeditated murder against her uncle, mother, brother and Bahtiyar. The suspects, facing aggravated life imprisonment if convicted, were escorted into the courtroom by security forces.
Erinç Sağkan, president of the Turkish Bars Association, urged the court to allow the association to participate in the case, emphasising the need for “an impartial and just process”. Similarly, Abdulkadir Güleç, head of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, highlighted critical investigative gaps, saying, “The lack of forensic police involvement from the outset has led to critical evidence being mishandled or lost.”
Inside the courtroom, Bahtiyar maintained his innocence, frequently responding to questions with “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember”. At one point, he claimed that he had been threatened with death if he refused to help conceal Narin’s body, which he says he found in her family’s home. He alleged, “Salim brought a blanket, and I took her body to the stable where I put it in a sack,” asserting that he had no role in the actual killing.
Women’s organisations expressed strong condemnation of the violence faced by Narin Güran. Outside the courthouse where the trial of the accused is ongoing, representatives from various political and civil society groups emphasised the need for justice and highlighted what they described as systemic failures in protecting women and children. Asu Kaya, Women’s Wing Chairperson of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), criticised the investigation’s early handling and expressed disappointment that some of Narin’s relatives did not seek justice on her behalf, adding, “Narin is not without family; we, as her advocates, will not remain silent.” Berfin Elçi, representing the Human Rights Association’s (İHD) Child Rights Committee, echoed these sentiments, asserting that there was a deliberate attempt to shield the perpetrators, which raised questions about institutional complicity. They urged for transparent, fair legal proceedings and called for sustained efforts to combat violence against women and children.
