The search continues for Narin Güran, the girl who went missing 13 days ago in Diyarbakır province in southeastern Turkey. While thousands of people are still trying to find a clue to her whereabouts, the investigation seems to have taken a new turn with the arrest of an uncle of the child who could be involved in the case.
Several Turkish media reported in recent hours that Narin’s uncle, identified by the initials S.G., has been questioned and arrested in connection with the disappearance of his niece, who has not been heard from since a security camera recorded her saying goodbye to friends on 21 August before taking a road home. The arrest was reportedly made after suspicious traces of DNA from the girl, only 8 years old, were found in the car of S.G., who was filmed by a security camera at a petrol station shortly after Narin’s disappearance.
After verifying from blood samples from Narin’s parents that DNA traces found in her uncle’s car belong to the girl, S.G. was brought by the gendarmerie to the office of the prosecutor assigned to the case, who, after questioning the suspect, issued a request to a local court for him to be remanded in custody. Sources linked to the case told the media on condition of anonymity that in his appearance before the court, S.G. reportedly denied the accusations of being linked to the girl’s disappearance.
Calls, messages and emails deleted from the uncle’s phone
As part of the investigation, Turkish prosecutors have also reportedly ordered the confiscation of S.G.’s mobile phone, after a team of cybercrime specialists confirmed that the detainee deleted several calls, WhatsApp messages and emails from his phone.
Meanwhile, the search for the little girl continues unabated, with a large number of gendarmerie personnel joining in yesterday, who have collected several pieces of clothing found in the grounds of the area to be sent for examination to the Diyarbakır Institute of Forensic Medicine. More than 4,000 people including military, police, municipal teams, members of AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency) and volunteers are now working on the search for Narin, which also involves 9 rescue dogs, 115 vehicles, 2 helicopters and 38 drones in a searching area that now totals 55 square kilometres. The disappearance has caused concern among local residents, who have begun installing security cameras in their homes.
The arrest of Narin’s uncle is the second arrest of a family member in connection with the girl’s disappearance, after her older brother – E.G., 18 – was also arrested a few days ago after teeth marks were found on his arm, which investigators attributed to a possible struggle with his sister. However, after the marks were examined at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul, experts concluded that it could not be established that the marks belonged to Narin, so after several days in custody his brother was finally released.
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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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