A Child’s Murder Unveils a Corrupt Network with Powerful Ties

4 Oct 2024
A Child’s Murder Unveils a Corrupt Network with Powerful Ties
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Narin Güran, 8 years old girl was brutally murdered at Tavşantepe, a southeastern village of Turkey,  a crime that shocked the nation. The case has dominated public attention due to the horrific nature of the murder and the alarming details surrounding it.

Salim Güran, the main suspect and the uncle of the victim, is a local leader and Quran teacher who has been linked to serious criminal activities, including drug and arms trafficking, and forcing women into prostitution. His family is also accused of orchestrating false tips during the search for 8-year-old Narin Güran, who was found murdered 19 days after her disappearance. 

Güran, along with several family members, has been arrested, with witnesses claiming his connections to Hezbollah (a different organization from the Lebanese Hezbollah, which engaged in counter-guerrilla operations and political executions in Turkey during the 1990s) and the ruling AKP party. A raid on the village allegedly uncovered 550 unregistered heavy weapons. Meanwhile Garip Ensarioğlu, the AKP’s MP for Diyarbakır, stated that he and his party has close ties with the family and, for that reason, there are things he knows but “cannot disclose” in a live broadcast.

This case highlights deep-seated corruption and criminal networks involving local officials.

In light of these alarming details, the AKP appears to have intentionally obstructed the investigation into the murder of the 8-year-old child. Narin went missing on August 21, and her body was found inside a sack by a riverbank on September 8. Her older brother, mother, and uncle are the main suspects, yet the exact details of the crime remain unclear, and there are growing concerns of a cover-up.

In response, the main opposition party CHP recently submitted a motion to parliament requesting the formation of a commission to investigate the incident. However, the ruling AKP and its coalition partner MHP rejected this proposal, raising further questions about the extent of corruption and political influence in the case.