Eight-year-old Narin Güran went missing in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakir province on August 21 after exiting a Quran course and failing to return home. Nearly two weeks of search efforts have been unsuccessful in determining her whereabouts.
Narin’s 18-year-old brother was taken into custody on August 28th and one of two bites on his arm was identified as belonging to his younger sister. The following day, her brother was released after investigators were unable to identify the source of the second bite.
On August 29th, Turkey’s radio and television authority (RTÜK) announced a ban on all broadcasting regarding the case, following the decision of a court in Diyarbakir.
Protecting the confidentiality of the case was announced as the reason for the ban.
On August 31st, Narin’s uncle Salim Güran was taken into custody after the investigation revealed that his mobile phone had been turned off for one hour after the suspected kidnapping took place.
While Narin’s mother Yüksel was called in to make a statement on the case on the same day as her uncle’s arrest, news reports suggesting that her mother had been arrested were refuted as being false.
Later updates in the investigation found a DNA sample in Narin’s uncle’s car to match a DNA sample found on the young girl’s clothing. Additionally, the uncle was reported being seen leaving the family’s village approximately 15 minutes after Narinwas last seen.
By Leo Kendrick
