Some while playing ball, others at a picnic... Where are Turkey's mysterious missing persons? Gülistan, Evrim, Bayram...

Kübra KARASU- 12punto.com.tr

Every year in Turkey, many missing persons, especially children, are reported for various purposes such as organ trafficking, prostitution, murder, and drug smuggling.

Gülistan Doku, Ebru Gönül, Evrim Atış, İlayda Taşçı, Bayram Küpşi, Yasin Şahin, and Mustafa Erden... These names are among those who have not been found for years, leaving behind question marks, perhaps due to these very reasons.

Even if their faces are forgotten, their tragic stories and the pain remain. The families of the missing meet at YAKAD (Association of Families of Missing Relatives).

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES

21-year-old Gülistan Doku went missing on January 5, 2020. She was a second-year student in the Child Development Department at Tunceli Vocational School. Doku's mysterious disappearance, which involved allegations regarding her ex-boyfriend and his police officer father, has remained unsolved for 1482 days.

8-year-old Ebru Gönül has been missing since April 13, 1997. Ebru, who went to a haberdashery to exchange trousers her mother had bought, has not returned for 9784 days. If she had not gone missing, she would be 34 years old today.

CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS

3-year-old Evrim Atış went missing on July 10, 2018, in the Turhal district of Tokat. It was stated that her grandmother, Sati Atış, left her in a tent while taking the animals to water and that she was gone upon her return. The family was arrested due to the contradictory statements they provided. There has been no news from Atış for 2026 days.

5-year-old İlayda Taşçı disappeared on April 9, 2006, at a picnic area where her family had gone in the Buca district of İzmir. Taşçı's disappearance has remained a mystery for 6501 days.

SHE HAD APPEARED ON YETENEK SİZSİNİZ...

6-year-old Bayram Küpşi, one of 5 children of a family from Siirt, went missing on July 19, 2007. There has been no trace of Küpşi, who disappeared while playing on the street where their house in Ümraniye was located, for 6035 days.

6.5-year-old Yasin Şahin went missing on April 4, 2016, while playing in front of his house in the Akören district of Konya. No trace of Şahin has been found for 2853 days.

45-year-old Mustafa Erden, who reached the finals of the 'Yetenek Sizsiniz' (Turkey's Got Talent) competition, went missing on May 5, 2014. It was stated that he left his home at 18:00 on May 5 and never returned. Known in his circle by the nickname 'Fırıldak Mustafa' (Whirligig Mustafa) because he could roll his eyes 'like a whirligig' and spin two coins in opposite directions inside a plastic basin, Erden's disappearance has remained a mystery for 3553 days.

"TELL THEM THAT A VOICE CAN BE A CALL FOR HELP"

To prevent more citizens from going missing, YAKAD shared a list of 'golden rules' consisting of 10 items regarding how children can be protected and how awareness can be created.

So, what can families do? Here are the 10 golden rules:

1-Inform your children about dangerous places; teach them that they should not go to deserted streets, construction sites, or abandoned places.

2-Tell your children that they should not go anywhere, even with someone they know, without your approval.

3-Teach your children not to accept food, drinks, medicine, or similar items from people they do not know.

4-Explain to your children that a voice can be a call for help. Provide information about asking for help by shouting in difficult situations.

"TEACH THEM PLACES LIKE POLICE STATIONS, HOSPITALS, AND SCHOOLS"

5-Teach your children their name, surname, and the names, surnames, and addresses of their family members. Ensure they carry identification information with them. Explain that they should not share photos, addresses, school information, or personal details with people they do not know on the internet or social media.

6-Teach your children not to open the door to strangers when they are left alone at home.

7-Watch your children constantly while they are playing in the park or outside. Be aware of what they do during the day. Keep the names, phone numbers, and addresses of their friends and their families in a place where you can easily access them.

8-Teach your children about people they can trust, such as security guards, police, and gendarmerie, and places where they can ask for help, such as schools, hospitals, police stations, and mosques.

9-Tell your children that they should not leave the place where they are if they realize they are lost.

10-When you have to entrust your children to someone, stay in constant communication with that person.

News Source: Kübra Karasu