No news has been received from 8-year-old Narin Güran since August 21 in Çulî rural neighborhood of Rezan (Bağlar) district of Amed (Diyarbakır). Despite excavations, statements of dozens of people and detentions, Güran's fate has not been revealed for 15 days. In this process, many untrue information has been put forward. The authorities investigating the case, however, did not remove the question marks raised by the public. 

 

SILENCE PREVAILS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

 

The family made many statements in the first days in an attempt to find their daughter. However, after a while, family members stopped talking to journalists about Güran's fate. Residents of the neighborhood have also remained silent since the first day of the incident. The only words spoken by the neighborhood residents about the incident are: “We don't know anything, the state does.” 

 

After the incident, Güran's house was surrounded by a security tape. Journalists are allowed to film from a point set up by Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). Family members also do not allow journalists to approach the house. 

 

WHAT HAPPENED? 

 

Güran left her house at 13:00 pm on August 21 to go to the Quran Course. Güran left the course at around 15:00 pm. Güran's family notified the authorities about their daughter, whom they had not heard from. AFAD and gendarmerie teams dispatched to the region started a search operation. As a result of the search, Güran's last CCTV footage was found at 15.15 pm when she was heading home.

 

Dozens of people, including family members’ statements taken as part of the investigation into the incident. Search points were set up at the entrances and exits of the rural neighborhood. All passing vehicles were searched. Approximately 150 drivers of vehicles that were identified as passing by the road at the time of Güran's disappearance were questioned. Some abandoned houses were also searched. More than 11 thousand acres were searched. 

 

On August 22, two different children's slippers were found 3 kilometers away from the Güran family's house and on August 28, 2 kilometers away. However, it was stated that both slippers did not belong to Güran. 

 

On August 25, blood stains were seen on rocks about 20 meters away from the Güran family's house. The rock fragments with blood stains were examined. After the examination, the Diyarbakır Governor's Office released a statement saying that the blood stains did not belong to Güran, but to a child in the neighborhood with a bloody nose. 

 

On August 28, the search was intensified in Selmi Stream, 2 kilometers away from the village. However, no trace was found there either.

 

OLDER BROTHER DETAINED

 

Güran's older brother E.Güran was detained on August 29 due to bite marks on his arm. E.G. was released on August 30 after it could not be determined who the bite mark on his arm belonged to. On the same day his brother was detained, Diyarbakır Criminal Judicature of Peace imposed a publication ban on news about Güran.

 

On September 1, a search was conducted in a field in the neighboring rural neighborhood of Derbişûr (Sarıdallı). Pieces of clothes and cloths found in the fields were taken as evidence and sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) for examination.

 

UNCLE ARRESTED

 

On September 1, Salim Güran, Güran's uncle and mukhtar of Çulî neighborhood, was detained. On September 2, Güran was taken to the prosecutor's office and referred to the Criminal Judicature of Peace for arrest on the grounds that “DNA samples of Narin Güran were found in his car and he gave contradictory statements”. Güran was arrested on charges of “willfull murder” and “deprivation of personal liberty”. Uncle Güran said: “Narin never got into my car. When I left the door open, she might have gotten in herself.” 

 

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç stated that Uncle Güran was arrested because the DNA samples taken from his vehicle matched the DNA samples taken from Narin's mother Yüksel Güran and father Arif Güran. Despite the arrest of uncle Güran on charges of “willfull murder”, Tunç's statement that “Our main hope is that Narin can be reached safely” drew attention.