Diyarbakır Bar Association President Nahit Eren tells 12punto: 'There isn't a single clue, it's thought-provoking'

Hikmet Eren Çelenk /12punto.com.tr

Search operations are ongoing for 8-year-old Narin Güran, who went missing in Diyarbakır on August 21, 2024. Her family, unable to hear from Narin, notified the authorities. It has been the 8th day of the search efforts. According to camera footage, Narin was last seen leaving a Quran course.

According to information provided by eyewitnesses, she returned home after the Quran course. She left her house and went to the house right next door, her uncle's house, to ask her older cousin where her cousins of the same age were. After leaving her uncle's house, there has been no word from little Narin.

Speaking at a press conference held today (August 28, 2024), Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Major General Selçuk Yıldırım stated that they are very close to a result and that they will find Narin safe and sound.

12punto reached out to Diyarbakır Bar Association President Nahit Eren to ask about the statements made and the current status of the search operations.

'FOOTAGE EXISTS'

When we asked Nahit Eren about the statements regarding the moment of disappearance circulating in the press and on social media, he said, "There are records in the video footage showing her going to the Quran course and returning. In the process after that, there is no word from her. We know that she was not heard from again after going to her uncle's house; the statements of eyewitnesses are also in this direction. There is footage of her going to the course and returning around 13:00-13:30 that day," he said.

'IT MAY BE A FACT RATHER THAN AN EXPECTATION'

When we asked Nahit Eren about the statement by Diyarbakır Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Selçuk Yıldırım, who indicated that they would find Narin alive, he stated that he did not have the authority to express an opinion on this matter and said the following:

"This is everyone's wish. I cannot know the situation exactly. He may have made this assessment based on his impressions because there is no trace of Narin in the village. We do not know if she was abducted or is being held in a different place. Furthermore, we cannot provide information because there is a confidentiality order on the file. Ultimately, he is the Provincial Gendarmerie Commander of a province. He is the most knowledgeable person on this subject in terms of intelligence. If he is making these statements, it might be a fact rather than an expectation. Of course, we cannot know this; I am stating this as an interpretation. The best answer to this belongs to the Provincial Gendarmerie Commander who made the statement."

'THE FACT THAT NOT A SINGLE CLUE HAS BEEN FOUND IS THOUGHT-PROVOKING'

Responding to our questions regarding the statements taken in the morning hours and the alleged detentions, Nahit Eren said, "Now look, it is impossible for me to say anything about the investigation file. There are certainly people who have information about the file, but it is not possible for me to provide information. Every detail I give will harm the investigation. Therefore, our priority is Narin's life, because if she is still out there somewhere, this will be the healthiest approach to avoid causing a different outcome. We are experiencing a process we are not accustomed to until today. It is truly thought-provoking that there is not a single clue despite such a high level of personnel participation and such an extensive search. In this sense, it is a very professional abduction. This could lead us to all kinds of outcomes. It is a situation where we must be prepared for anything. It is thought-provoking that no document that can be shared with the public has been reached yet," he stated.

'STATEMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THE PROCESS SHOULD BE AVOIDED'

When we asked Nahit Eren whether the scope of the search efforts for Narin was limited to the region where she lived, he concluded his words by stating that misinformation must be prevented:

"We cannot know; the fact that she has not been found despite so much searching in houses and streets contains many possibilities. It is not possible to say anything because there is no evidence. First of all, we need to prevent misinformation. This harms both the investigation and the motivation of the teams searching for Narin. There is a professional search underway, and we must avoid statements that will affect this process with dirty information. From now on, it is necessary to wait for news from the prosecutor's office and judicial authorities. Social media posts are quite disturbing; these need to be prevented."