Kurdish groups are calling for Galip Ensarioğlu, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP for Diyarbakır (Amed), to testify in the investigation into the murder of eight-year-old Narin Güran, arguing that his recent remarks suggest a political cover-up.
During a television interview, Ensarioğlu stated, “there are things we know but do not say,” referring to his long-standing relationship with the Güran family. Kurdish groups interpret this as evidence of collusion between the family, local religious sects and Turkish state authorities.
Ensarioğlu, a key figure opposing the Kurdish movement and its parliamentary wing, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, later insisted his words were taken out of context and denied any cover-up. “The family is known to us,” Ensarioğlu said, “but this does not mean there is any cover-up.” Despite his denial, Kurdish groups argue that his comments confirm their suspicions that the investigation has been deliberately compromised due to political ties.
The Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and other Kurdish groups accuse the AKP and its allies of covering up Narin’s murder to protect those linked to religious groups like the Turkish Hizbullah. “Those who form dirty alliances are responsible for Narin’s death. The government and its partners are complicit in these crimes,” said Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, Co-Chair of the DBP.
Narin Güran disappeared on 21 August in Tavşantepe (Çulî) village, Diyarbakır, and her body was discovered 19 days later in a sack in a nearby stream bed. Her uncle, Salim Güran, the village headman, has been charged with her murder after a suspect, Nevzat B., confessed to burying her body at Salim Güran’s request for 200,000 TL (USD5,900). The discovery, despite multiple prior searches of the area, raised suspicions that the body was moved—a claim Kurdish groups see as further evidence of an attempted cover-up.
Kurdish groups argue that the investigation has been compromised by political connections. DEM Party representatives, including MP Zeynep Oduncu, have called for a full investigation into Ensarioğlu’s comments. “What are these things he knows but does not say?” asked Oduncu. “The public deserves to know the truth, and those involved must be held accountable.”
Protests have erupted across Turkey following Narin’s death, with demonstrators demanding accountability and transparency from the government and religious authorities. In Diyarbakır, thousands marched to condemn what they see as an alliance between the state and local religious groups, chanting, “End state and sect violence.”
The Human Rights Association Co-Chair, Eren Keskin, suggested that Narin may have witnessed something she “should not have seen,” leading to her death. “The state appears to be protecting certain local actors,” Keskin said. “This case reflects a broader pattern of violence and impunity.”
As public outrage grows, the DEM Party has intensified its scrutiny over the handling of Narin Güran’s case, particularly criticising the restrictions placed on media access and the prohibition on entry to Tavşantepe following the discovery of her body. “Why were these restrictions imposed if not to protect certain interests?” asked a DEM Party spokesperson.
In a parliamentary question directed at Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, DEM Party deputies Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Sezai Temelli, along with other party members, have demanded answers to several pressing questions. These include the current status of the investigation and the number of individuals detained or arrested so far. They questioned why Narin could not be found for 19 days despite extensive search efforts involving specialised teams from Ankara and Diyarbakır. They also asked how Narin’s body could have been discovered in a stream bed only after a tip-off, despite previous searches in the same area, and whether the body was moved there later.
The DEM Party also demanded to know if the individuals from the Quran course that Narin attended had been interviewed and, if not, why. They raised concerns about alleged negligence in the early stages of the investigation, particularly regarding delayed statements from family members and the possible destruction of evidence. Additionally, they sought clarification on remarks made by Galip Ensarioğlu, questioning whether his knowledge of undisclosed information would be investigated under the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalises concealing a crime.
Moreover, the DEM Party called for inquiries into any “dirty dealings” involving certain family members that had surfaced in the media and whether these activities could be connected to Narin’s murder. They sought reasons for the entry and reporting bans imposed on Tavşantepe following the discovery of Narin’s body and whether these restrictions were intended to allow suspects more freedom to act.
The DEM Party also questioned whether the file on Narin’s sister, who reportedly died years earlier in a suspicious fall, would be reopened for investigation, and what measures would be taken to protect the mental health of other children in the village and prevent similar incidents.
Kurdish groups maintain that Ensarioğlu’s comments, despite his denial, highlight a pattern of political interference in cases involving violence against Kurdish children and women. They continue to demand full accountability and transparency, asserting that the state’s alliances with religious groups like Hizbullah contribute to a culture of impunity in Turkey’s Kurdish regions.
