Reasoned decision in Narin Güran murder case announced: Family organized to conceal the truth

The reasoned decision regarding the prison sentences handed down to defendants Birsen Güran, Fuat Güran, Maşallah Güran, Salim Güran's employee Mehmet Selim Atasoy, Mehmet Şevket Kaya, Muhammed Kaya, Şeyma Kaya, Hediye Güran, İbrahim Halil Güran, Barış Güran, Kurtuluş Güran, and Ömer Faruk Güran, as well as children dragged into crime R.A. (16), M.G. (16), and I.K. (17), was written following the verdict hearing on May 30 at the Diyarbakır 17th Criminal Court of First Instance.

In the decision, which included the statements of the defendants, the children dragged into crime, and witnesses during the trial phase, it was stated that defendant Hediye Güran did not have consistent statements and made contradictory claims regarding the hours the incident occurred, stating that Narin Güran's brother, Enes Güran, was sleeping in an attempt to protect him.

"STATEMENTS ARE CONTRADICTORY"

Noting that Hediye Güran's statements were fabricated to conceal the facts involved in Narin's murder, the decision stated that her statements were contradictory and contrary to the ordinary flow of life.

The decision stated, "It is established that the act of murdering the victim Narin was completed in the house, and therefore Hediye Güran made these statements with the intention of concealing the events and clearly obstructing the investigation of those who carried out the murder and the apprehension of the perpetrators, thus committing the crime of 'aiding and abetting a criminal' with which she is charged."

"INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT WAS OBSTRUCTED"

The decision stated that it was determined that defendant Şeyma Kaya clearly attempted to obstruct the investigation of the incident and the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators with her contradictory statements that were contrary to the ordinary flow of life. It was also noted that defendants Birsen and Maşallah Güran and the child dragged into crime M.G. gave contradictory defenses, and it was understood that the family acted in an organized manner, ensuring that even the children gave such statements to prevent Narin from being found and the incident from being clarified.

"FALSE REPORTS WERE FILED"

The reasoned decision included the following statements:

"Defendant Mehmet Selim Atasoy clearly attempted to obstruct the investigation of the incident and the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators with his contradictory statements that were contrary to the ordinary flow of life.

The child dragged into crime R.A., on the other hand, concealed facts he had known from the beginning, given that he mentioned issues he had not included in his previous statements.

It was determined that he clearly reflected what he experienced and saw in a different way by adding some issues or concealing others at every stage, and that he clearly attempted to obstruct the investigation of the incident and the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators with his contradictory and inconsistent statements."

Stating that defendant Mehmet Şevket Kaya made statements aimed at escaping punishment, the decision noted that the defendant tried to divert the attention of law enforcement units to different points by trying to start a fire, made false reports to direct investigations to different channels, and tried to prevent the investigation of the perpetrators who carried out the murder, the investigation of the incident, and the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

SLIPPER ALLEGEDLY BELONGING TO NARIN

Emphasizing that defendant Muhammed Kaya's defense was evaluated as an attempt to escape punishment, the decision stated the following:

"He did not notify any law enforcement personnel at the initial stage regarding the slipper he claimed to have found in an area where gendarmerie personnel had searched multiple times.

Without even checking the size, he created a perception that it belonged to Narin, and by saying he found it in the area where Syrian citizens lived, he tried to make it appear as if an act had been committed by Syrian citizens, and in this way, he tried to prevent the apprehension of the real perpetrator or perpetrators.

Defendant Barış Güran, on the other hand, created an atmosphere of panic by reporting that a girl was being forcibly abducted by two men, and tried to divert research activities in a different direction.

Defendant Fuat Güran also tried to obtain information about search activities by following gendarmerie personnel.

By deleting his phone history and listening to gendarmerie personnel to obtain information, he tried to obstruct the investigation of the incident, and by saying that Narin might be in Çarıklı, he tried to divert research activities in a different direction. It was evaluated that the defendant's defenses were aimed at escaping punishment.

It was determined that the family acted in an organized manner to clearly obstruct Narin from being found, the incident from being clarified, and the perpetrators from being apprehended."

STARTING A FIRE

Stating that it was determined that defendants Kurtuluş and Ömer Faruk Güran tried to start a fire, the decision stated that it was determined that the defendants' defenses were aimed at escaping punishment.

It was noted that Kurtuluş and Ömer Faruk Güran started a fire with the sticks in their hands, and during this time, defendant İbrahim Halil also tried to obstruct the investigation of the incident and the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators by diverting the attention of the gendarmerie personnel he was following to different directions.

Stating that the child dragged into crime I.K. gave contradictory defenses and obstructed the investigation into those who committed the murder, the decision stated that the child dragged into crime enabled the people who committed the crime to escape investigation with the untrue statements he gave.

"IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME OF 'AIDING AND ABETTING A CRIMINAL'"

The following assessment was made in the decision:

"All statement contents obtained during the investigation and prosecution phases within the scope of the file, law enforcement reports, witness statements, HTS records, camera footage, the file of the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court, and the entire scope of the main file were evaluated together.

The defendants enabled the people who committed the crime to escape investigation by giving untrue statements, starting fires as found in the report contents, following and listening to gendarmerie personnel, making false reports to direct gendarmerie personnel, and deleting phone records.

It was understood that the defendants acted with a common motive and committed the crime of 'aiding and abetting a criminal' with which they were charged.

Given that it was concluded that the crime of 'aiding and abetting a criminal' charged against defendants Birsen, Maşallah, and Fuat Güran was proven, the time the defendants spent in detention during the investigation and prosecution phases, the nature of the act charged, and the amount of the sentence imposed, it was concluded that detention was proportionate at this stage and that judicial control would be insufficient in this context, and therefore it was decided that the defendants' detention status would continue by judgment."

AGGRAVATED LIFE SENTENCE HAD BEEN GIVEN

The investigation conducted by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the murder of Narin Güran, who went missing on August 21, 2024, in Tavşantepe Neighborhood of the central Bağlar district and whose lifeless body was found in Eğertutmaz Creek on September 8, 2024, against mother Yüksel, brother Enes, uncle Salim Güran, and Nevzat Bahtiyar was completed, and the indictment prepared against 4 defendants for "intentional killing of a child in participation" with a request for an aggravated life sentence was accepted by the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court on October 23, 2024.

The trial of the defendants began on November 7, 2024, and the court panel decided at the hearing on December 28, 2024, that the detained defendants Yüksel, Enes, and Salim Güran be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "intentional killing of a child in participation," and that Nevzat Bahtiyar, who confessed to hiding Narin's lifeless body in Eğertutmaz Creek, be sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of "destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence," and that their detention status continue.

The investigation conducted against 12 people, 6 of whom were detained, and 3 children dragged into crime regarding the murder of Narin Güran was also completed, and the indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against 12 people for the crime of "aiding and abetting a criminal" with a request for 6 months to 5 years in prison was accepted by the Diyarbakır 17th Criminal Court of First Instance, and the indictment prepared for the same crime against children R.A. (16), M.G. (16), and I.K. (17) was accepted by the 2nd Juvenile Court.

The request of the Diyarbakır 2nd Juvenile Court to merge the file in their possession with the case opened against 12 defendants, 6 of whom were detained, at the Diyarbakır 17th Criminal Court of First Instance was accepted.

At the hearing on May 30, the court decided to continue the detention of the detained defendants Birsen, Fuat, and Maşallah Güran, who were tried for the crime of "aiding and abetting a criminal," with a 3-year and 6-month prison sentence, on the grounds that "it was concluded that the crime was proven, and considering the time the defendants spent in detention during the investigation and prosecution phases, the nature of the act charged, and the amount of the sentence imposed, detention was proportionate at this stage and judicial control would be insufficient in this context."

The court, which sentenced Salim Güran's employee Mehmet Selim Atasoy, Mehmet Şevket Kaya, and Muhammed Kaya to 3 years in prison, decided for their separate releases, considering the nature and quality of the crime charged against the defendants, the current state of evidence, the amount of the sentence imposed, and the time the defendants spent in detention.

The court, which sentenced non-detained defendant Hediye Güran to 3 years and 6 months, and Şeyma Kaya, İbrahim Halil Güran, Barış Güran, Kurtuluş Güran, and Ömer Faruk Güran to 3 years in prison, decided to defer the announcement of the verdict by sentencing children dragged into crime R.A. (16) to 1 year and 3 months, and M.G. (16) and I.K. (17) to 1 year and 8 months in prison.

It was decided that the 3 children dragged into crime would be subject to supervision for 3 years in accordance with Article 23 of the Child Protection Law, and the court ruled to terminate the judicial control measures applied to defendants Kurtuluş Güran, Ömer Faruk Güran, and the child dragged into crime M.G.

The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice found the prison sentences given by the court of first instance to the defendants mother Yüksel, brother Enes, and uncle Salim Güran, as well as Nevzat Bahtiyar, in the Narin Güran murder case to be in accordance with the law.