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Turkey: Girl found dead after missing report sparks outrage

September 9, 2024

The body of an eight-year-old girl was found in a bag in a river in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. The news comes after people across the country, including big stars, joined in on efforts to find her.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kQYZ
Protesters hold portraits of eight-year-old Narin Guran, whose body was found after being missing for 19 days, during a protest at Kadikoy district in Istanbul
The eight-year-old was missing since August 21, sparking a 'Find Narin' social media campaignImage: OZAN KOSE/AFP

The body of an eight-year-old girl has been found in Turkey after a widespread search that began almost three weeks ago, the interior minister and a local official have confirmed.

After a search lasting 19 days, the body of Narin Guran was found in a bag in a river in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. The discovery was made around one kilometer (0.62 miles) from the village where she lived with her family, Diyarbakir Governor Murat Zorluoglu told reporters.

"Unfortunately, the lifeless body of Narin, who went missing in the village of Tavsantepe... has been found," Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

'Find Narin' campaign

The young girl disappeared on August 21, prompting a massive search effort across Turkey, with several well-known figures joining a social media campaign called "Find Narin."

"Narin Guran was found dead wearing the same clothes as the last time she was seen," said Diyarbakir Governor Zorluoglu.

"Based on the first observations, she was put into a bag after she was killed," he continued. "The bag was then placed in the river, hidden under branches and rocks so as not to raise suspicion."

Protests erupt in Turkey over death of 8-year-old Narin

Local prosecutors have detained 21 people, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.

According to Turkish media outlet NTV, Narin's parents and her eldest brother were among those called in for questioning, while the girl's uncle was arrested last week on suspicion of murder and "deprivation of liberty."

Erdogan: 'I will personally follow the judicial process'

"We are profoundly hurt by the sad news about Narin, who was brutally killed," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on X. "I will personally follow the judicial process to ensure that those who took Narin away from us receive the harsh punishment they deserve."

"Narin was killed in an organised manner," Turkey's pro-Kurdish party DEM wrote on X. "Those responsible for this murder, which has saddened us all, must be revealed and held accountable before an impartial and independent justice system."

jsi/rm (AFP)