Major development in the Narin Güran case

A new development has occurred in the case regarding the death of 8-year-old Narin Güran in Diyarbakır. Ali Eryılmaz, the attorney for Nevzat Bahtiyar—who was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for "destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence"—has announced that he will no longer represent his client.

In a statement shared on his social media account, Eryılmaz announced that he was withdrawing from the defense due to professional honor and conscientious responsibility.

"I AM WITHDRAWING DUE TO MY PROFESSIONAL HONOR AND CONSCIENTIOUS RESPONSIBILITY"

In his statement, attorney Ali Eryılmaz said, "Today, I am withdrawing not just from a legal representation role, but from a heavy burden where my faith and professional honor were tested."

Eryılmaz stated that he was leaving the defense of Nevzat Bahtiyar out of a sense of conscientious responsibility, adding, "I can no longer continue to serve as the attorney for my client, whose defense I undertook during the most challenging moments of the Narin Güran case."

HE STATED HE WAS LEFT ALONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

In his post, Eryılmaz emphasized that he was left alone due to the backlash directed at him on social media. His statement included the following remarks:

"It lies in the fact that a colleague, with whom I should have been working shoulder-to-shoulder on a case, refrained from defending the truth after the verdict was reached. While I was fighting alone in the ruthless corridors of social media, not only did they remain silent against the lynching campaigns directed at me, but the friendships they formed with those organizing the lynching have left a deep wound in my heart."

"THE FINAL STRAW WAS AN AUDIO RECORDING"

Continuing his statement, Eryılmaz expressed that the "final straw" was an audio recording. Eryılmaz stated that an audio recording, allegedly belonging to another lawyer and containing the phrase "Nevzat killed Narin," had completely destroyed trust.

"The trust that forms the foundation of a defense has been dynamited by our own colleague. The most painful part is that my client and his family, who know everything that has happened, have remained silent in the face of this dishonorable betrayal."

"I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THE NARIN CASE"

In his statement, Eryılmaz emphasized that his withdrawal from the case does not mean "giving up." Stating that he would continue his search for justice even though he has left the defense, Eryılmaz included the following:

"In the Narin Case, based on the information I have obtained, I will continue to file reports with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to ensure that individuals who were not involved in the trials or who are being tried for other crimes are also held accountable. This is not a surrender; it is a requirement of my respect for the truth, my professional honor, and my personal responsibility."

LATEST STATUS OF THE CASE

In the case regarding the death of Narin Güran, Nevzat Bahtiyar had been sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of "destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The lifeless body of Narin Güran, who went missing in Diyarbakır on August 21, 2024, was found on September 8, hidden under stones inside a sack in a creek bed. In the case opened at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court, Narin's uncle Salim Güran, her mother Yüksel Güran, and her brother Enes Güran were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "intentional killing of a child in complicity," while their neighbor Nevzat Bahtiyar was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for "destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence."

Appeals filed by the defendants and some parties were rejected by a majority vote by the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice; however, the presiding judge issued a dissenting opinion, noting that some evidence had been examined incompletely. The file was sent to the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

Furthermore, in the "aiding and abetting" case linked to the Narin Güran murder, the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice ruled that the verdict could not be finalized until the main case was concluded at the Court of Cassation, and thus treated the file as a pending matter.