Authorities in Turkey have sealed off a village near Diyarbakır (Amed) after the body of Narin Güran, an 8-year-old missing since 21 August, was discovered on Sunday. Her body was found in a stream, hidden in a sack, following a new tip-off.
The Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, announced that the child’s remains were found by the gendarmerie in a streambed 1.5 kilometres from the village of Tavşantepe (Çuli).
Narin had been missing for 19 days after disappearing while returning home from a religious course. Her body was discovered during a renewed search at a location previously searched numerous times, leading to suspicions that it may have been moved there later.
The Governor of Diyarbakır Murat Zorluoğlu confirmed that Narin’s body had been moved to the stream after her death and concealed with stones and branches to make it look natural.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party described Narin’s death as an organised crime. “This is not an ordinary death. Narin was murdered in a planned manner,” the DEM Party stated. They called for those responsible to be held accountable, pledging, “We will not allow this case to be buried.”
Local officials have detained Narin’s uncle, known only as S.G., after DNA evidence linked him to the crime. He is accused of deprivation of liberty and murder with intent. The arrest has drawn attention to broader issues of child safety and systemic failures in Turkey, where missing child statistics have not been updated since 2016.
The Children’s Rights Centre of Diyarbakır’s Bar Association criticised the state’s lack of transparency, stressing the need for a thorough investigation. “We are committed to ensuring that those responsible are found and punished,” they stated, highlighting broader concerns over child protection and justice in Turkey.
The village where Narin disappeared is a small settlement under constant surveillance by a military outpost that monitors the area with cameras. Locals believe footage of the girl’s abduction or disappearance may exist but remains undisclosed.
Speculations suggest a plot involving local military officials, the Menzil religious sect, and the family, with allegations that state forces may be closely linked to the possible perpetrators. Suspicions include organ trafficking or abduction as retribution for a family debt. The Turkish government’s perceived alliance with local religious groups and criminal elements to counter the Kurdish movement further deepens mistrust in the justice system in Turkey, particularly among the Kurdish community, where faith in the impartiality of state institutions is already severely eroded.
The ongoing speculation is unlikely to subside unless a transparent and thorough investigation is conducted. The autopsy results may provide answers to some of these pressing questions.
