On 8 September, the body of 8-year-old Narin Güran, who had disappeared from Diyarbakır’s Bağlar district in southeast Turkey on 21 August, was found close to her home, in a sack in a stream, camouflaged with stones and branches. The child’s uncle, Salim Güran, the local mukhtar (village head), was arrested on 2 September after DNA evidence linked him to the case.
In a significant development, Güran’s lawyer, Seda Toğrul, withdrew from the case on 10 September, citing personal reasons. She said, “The Narin Güran incident, which is being closely followed by the public, has deeply upset us all,” and explained that she had taken on Salim Güran’s defence on 5 September when it was not known if Narin was alive or dead and there was no concrete evidence against him. But she continued, “What with the defence statements, Narin being found dead, and the other evidence on the file, I find that as a mother, I am no longer able to defend him [Güran], and I am therefore withdrawing from the case”.
Another important revelation came from Nevzat Bahtiyar, who claimed in a statement that Salim Güran had threatened him. He had been having problems with his drinking water being cut off, and had gone to Güran, the mukhtar, about it. Güran had said he would talk to the authorities. Bahtiyar has since been taken into custody, and his statement to the gandarmes has raised further questions about the family’s involvement in the crime.
The statement Bahtiyar made is as follows: “There is a distance of approximately 80-100 metres between my house and Mukhtar Salim Güran’s house. I left my house in my car with 23 AN 630 licence plate (an Elazığ plate). I saw Salim Güran coming up behind me in a white Renault 19 car with a 47 (Mardin) licence plate. Salim Güran honked and flashed his lights at me on the road inside the village leading from the cemetery to Tavşantepe neighbourhood. I waited thinking that he was going to tell me something about drinking water. Salim Güran got out of his car and came towards my car. I also got out of the vehicle and Salim Güran pointed to something wrapped in a blanket on the front passenger seat of the 47 number plate vehicle and said ‘You will destroy this’. I approached the thing he indicated and when I looked at it, I saw that there was a person lying motionless wrapped in a blanket. When I realised it was a human being, I was surprised and hesitated. At this time, Salim Güran addressed me and said, ‘Think well on the family, I will pay you 200,000TL [Turkish Lira].'”
The investigation is ongoing, with new focus turning to the 2019 death in hospital of Narin’s disabled older sister, Tülin Güran, which is being re-examined by the Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office. The family have stated that she died of natural causes.
Additionally, there are mounting allegations that several residents of Narin’s village are associated with the Turkish Hizbullah, a group implicated in kidnappings, murders and torture during the 1990s. This potential connection is said to be a reason why many villagers remained silent during the investigation, raising further concerns about the case’s complexity.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted across Turkey, with large crowds calling for a more thorough investigation into Narin’s murder. Demonstrators also raised concerns about the rising number of cases of violence against women and children in the country, calling for stronger action and for justice.
