As the search continues unabated for Narin Güran, the eight-year-old girl missing since 17 days ago in the south-eastern Turkish province of Diyarbakır, the investigation now appears to be focusing on the girl’s uncle, who was arrested after traces of the child’s DNA were found in his car. In addition, new revelations from a friend of Narin have helped to shed more light on the case.
According to the latest information published on Friday in Turkish media, the investigation, based on CCTV footage and witness statements, has been able to establish quite precisely the route Narin took from the time she left her home at 13:50 on 21 August to attend religious classes at the local mosque, until she was last seen by a friend at 18:47 that day. When she did not show up, at 19:30 her family began to search for her without success, until they informed the gendarmerie.
The whole mystery surrounding what happened to Narin and why she disappeared therefore centres on those 43 key minutes between the time she was last seen at 18:47, and the time her family began to search for her. Within that time, a camera caught her uncle Salim Güran – now in custody – leaving his home in the area in his car, allegedly heading to school, at 18:59: just 12 minutes after the girl was last seen.
What Narin did on the day of her disappearance, step by step
13:50 – Narin leaves her home to attend a religion class at the local mosque.
14:00 – He stops briefly at the house of his great-uncle Hüseyin Güran, and then continues on his way to the mosque.
15:05 – She leaves the course at the mosque.
15:15 – Passes in front of the school accompanied by friends, where she is filmed by a security camera (which captures the last known images of Narin), and bids them farewell to take the road home.
17:40 – Some witnesses place Narin at this time at the mosque, located about 300 metres from her home.
17:50 – Narin goes back to his great-uncle Hüseyin’s house, knocks on the door and talks to his cousins there.
18:47 – At this time she meets her friend M., who suggests Narin to play together, to which Narin replies ‘No, I’m too tired to play’, and leaves. The encounter is captured by a security camera, but the footage only captures her friend M., who recounted this testimony with the assistance of pedagogues and child psychologists.
18:59 – At this time, a security camera captures Narin’s uncle and main suspect so far, Salim Güran, leaving his house by car in the direction of the school.
19:30 – Narin’s family begins their search when they realise the girl is missing.
Contradictions and gaps in Narin’s uncle’s statement
Investigators have focused in recent days on Narin’s uncle, Salim Güran, who was caught on security camera leaving his house – close to Narin’s – just 12 minutes after the girl was last seen. The fact that DNA from the girl was found in his car, together with the suspect’s contradictory statements, eventually led to his arrest on 2 September: since them, he remains in custody on charges of ‘deprivation of liberty’ and ‘deliberated murder’.
According to information leaked to the Turkish press, during the interrogation by investigators the suspect was unable to explain in detail what he did between 16:50 and 19:00 on 21 August, the day the girl disappeared, answering questions with ‘I don’t remember’. He also reportedly failed to give clear explanations and contradicted himself as to why he turned off his mobile phone, from which he deleted several calls and WhatsApp messages that the Turkish gendarmerie is now trying to recover with the help of specialised software.
Regarding the investigation into the DNA found in the car of the missing girl’s uncle, DNA matching tests have been able to confirm that it belongs to Narin, although it has not been possible to determine whether the biological remains correspond to blood, saliva or vomit. While the search for the child continues, so far Salim Güran appears to be the main suspect following the arrest of Narin’s older brother (who was released days later due to lack of clear evidence), despite the girl’s family defending his uncle’s innocence. In recent days, gendarmerie troops have been searching for possible newly buried human remains in the local cemetery with the help of georadar equipment.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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