A Turkish court in Diyarbakır (Amed) has imposed a media blackout on the case of Narin Güran, an 8-year-old girl missing since 21 August in the Bağlar district. The ban, issued on 29 August by the Diyarbakır 5th Criminal Court of Peace, was announced by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to ensure that the ongoing investigation is not compromised.
RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin urged all media outlets to respect the ban, stating, “The search for little Narin continues with the diligent efforts of our security forces. It is crucial that the investigation proceeds effectively, without the spread of unverified information that could undermine its sensitivity.”
The investigation has intensified following the discovery of blood stains on rocks near Narin’s home in the Tavşantepe neighbourhood. The stains have been collected for laboratory analysis to determine their origin.
On the eighth day of the search, authorities arrested eight individuals in connection with Narin’s disappearance. While the identities of those detained remain undisclosed, the Diyarbakır Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Major General Selçuk Yıldırım indicated that significant progress has been made. “We have recorded every detail minute by minute. We are very close to a result; we have crucial evidence, and we will find her,” Yıldırım stated.
A special search team, comprising divers and search and rescue units, has been deployed to comb the area, including irrigation channels, rocky terrain, fields and abandoned buildings. Despite these extensive efforts, Narin’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The case has prompted political responses, with Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, criticising the investigation’s progress. “Narin has been missing for days in the Bağlar district,” Bakırhan posted on social media platform X. “The government, which uses all its resources to monitor the public, is failing to find a missing child. This is unacceptable. We call on judicial and administrative authorities to perform their duties effectively. We cannot bear to lose another child.”
Public concern continues to grow, with widespread calls for transparency and urgency in the investigation under the hashtag #NarinGüranNerede.
