Searching for their children in the Epstein documents
The tragedy continues for families still searching for children who went missing in the third year since the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. Mothers, fathers, and relatives continue to wait for a sign from their loved ones, even as years pass.
12punto
Three years have passed since the earthquake disaster that occurred on February 6, 2023, and devastated 11 provinces. Alongside the more than 53,000 people who lost their lives, the relatives of many others whose fates remain unknown continue their search for their missing loved ones.
The Alsan family, living in the Siteler neighborhood of Adıyaman, was shaken by a great tragedy on the day of the disaster. Father Uğur Alsan's pregnant wife and eldest son lost their lives in the collapsed building. 3.5-year-old Furkan, who was injured, was taken to the Adıyaman Maternity and Children's Hospital by a benefactor. However, during the second earthquake that occurred at noon on the same day, the hospital was evacuated, and no further news was heard from little Furkan.
Uğur Alsan, who was rescued with serious injuries, said, "We reached the trail of my two children, aged 7 and 12. My brother-in-law went to Ankara Etlik City Hospital and picked them up. No identity check or DNA test was requested; they just handed over my children. They didn't even ask for a signature. These things shouldn't have been this easy," he said.
LOOKING AT THE EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS
Stating that he has not given up the search for his missing son Furkan for years, Alsan expressed his anxiety by saying, "I suspect Furkan was kidnapped. I am always haunted by the fear that he might have been taken to places like 'Epstein Island.' I look for Furkan among the children in the photos and videos shared about Jeffrey Epstein. It is very difficult to watch, but I have no other choice.”
Another story of missing-person pain belongs to the Kılınç family living in Hatay. Mustafa, Hasret, and their 4.5-year-old sister Aysel, who were caught sleeping in their home in Antakya on the night of the earthquake, have not been heard from since that day. It is also known that Hasret was pregnant with twins when the earthquake struck.
Father Selahattin Kılınç described the moment of the incident with these words: "That day, there were people at the wreckage site who saw the injured being taken away in a white minibus. However, no investigation was conducted regarding this minibus. We cannot find any other explanation; we believe our children were kidnapped." Stating that their fears have increased due to the allegations regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Kılınç shared his suspicions by saying, "Sometimes I think to myself, were our children taken to places like that too?"
Families who have been struggling for years to reunite with their missing loved ones are demanding that authorities bring these cases back to the agenda and conduct a meticulous investigation. Even though three years have passed, the families, who have not lost hope for their children who went missing in the earthquake, once again state that the traces of the pain they experienced have not been erased.