Hopes fade for missing economist Korhan Berzeg
The search for Korhan Berzeg, who went missing after leaving his summer house in the Gönen district of Balıkesir with his dog "Tina" and was never heard from again, has been concluded on its 130th day.
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After retiring from his position as an "Asia Director" at the World Bank in the US, Korhan Berzeg began living in his home on Büyükada, Istanbul. In May, he traveled with his British-national wife, Angela Berzeg, to their summer house in the Armutlu neighborhood of his hometown, Gönen, Balıkesir.
On June 17, Korhan Berzeg went for a walk with his trained Doberman, "Tina," without taking his phone, identification, or bank cards. When he did not return, his wife reported him missing.
250-KILOMETER AREA SEARCHED 5 TIMES
Search operations were launched in the region involving AFAD, the Gendarmerie Search and Rescue (JAK), the Ankara Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command (JÖAK), and volunteer search and rescue teams, as well as tracking and cadaver dogs.
A 250-kilometer area was searched five times during the efforts to find Berzeg. Gendarmerie teams identified the license plates of vehicles passing through the Armutlu neighborhood on the day of the incident and prior, and questioned 40 drivers, but found no leads.
"TINA" RETURNED AFTER 74 DAYS
Berzeg's dog, "Tina," returned to the house in Armutlu on the morning of August 29, 74 days after going missing. Finding no one at home, the dog went to the area where neighbors' houses are located, about 500 meters away. Following reports from those who saw "Tina," Armutlu neighborhood headman Hamit Erman arrived at the scene and informed the gendarmerie. After a chip check confirmed the dog was indeed "Tina," Angela Berzeg traveled from Büyükada to Armutlu to retrieve her.
It was observed that "Tina" was well-groomed, showed no signs of having been in the wild such as dirt, soil, or mud, and her paws were clean.
"TINA" DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SEARCH
Initially, it was considered that the dog might have been held in the nearby area or had escaped. "Tina's" stool and blood samples were analyzed, leading to findings that the dog had not been living in the wild. Consequently, "Tina" was included in the search efforts.
However, "Tina" did not contribute to the search operations.
HOPES FADED
Berzeg was searched across 325 square kilometers, including a 54-kilometer area from his house in Armutlu to the Çanakkale border.
More than 20 neighborhoods in Gönen and the routes where the Gönen Stream flows into the sea in Erdek were repeatedly and specifically checked, but no traces were found. The search operations, which were carried out by a team of 50 people, were concluded on October 24, 130 days after Korhan Berzeg went missing.
"THERE IS A MYSTERIOUS SITUATION"
Pointing out that Fikriye Aydın, a mentally disabled citizen who went missing last week after leaving her home, was found within 24 hours, an official stated, "Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we could not achieve any results. We found our mentally disabled citizen who went missing in Gönen within 24 hours with a small team. Despite searching for 130 days, we could not find any trace of Korhan Berzeg. There is a mysterious situation here. We are trying to shed light on this. The teams will now only evaluate incoming intelligence. We will continue our work in this manner."
Search operations for Korhan Berzeg will continue based on any future tips received.