The trial over the murder of 8-year-old Narin Guran in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeastern region descended into chaos on Friday, as observers confronted the girl’s father, Arif Guran, in Diyarbakır’s main courthouse.
Four defendants — the child’s mother Yüksel, brother Enes, uncle Salim, and neighbor Nevzat Bahtiyar — face life sentences for allegedly conspiring in her murder.
Narin’s older brother, Baran Guran, recounted the events in their village near Diyarbakır last August, testifying, “I was in the city when she disappeared. When I heard, I rushed to the village, where a crowd had gathered at the mosque. At home, they told me Narin was missing, so I called emergency services.”
Tensions escalated as attorney Nahit Eren described examining evidence at the forensics institute. “I ensured they didn’t show you the body, but the smell was undeniable. That’s what I’m investigating — who did this to her,” he stated. The father’s attempts to silence this line of questioning provoked anger, with attendees shouting, “Enough lies! Tell us what you did to Narin.”
A red sandal found during the 19-day search emerged as critical evidence. Witness Muhammet Kaya testified that he discovered it on a village road, and Narin’s mother acknowledged it might be her daughter’s by its color.
The trial began on Thursday, with defendant Nevzat Bahtiyar claiming he had been offered money to confess to the crime, casting doubt over the investigation. “I was offered money to confess, but I refused,” he stated.
The proceedings were paused when Arif Guran collapsed and was transported to the hospital. The trial is set to continue.
