At a Glance

• Search operations were extended for 24 hours to find the last missing child from Slemani.
• Relatives filed a legal complaint in Turkey against the Kurdish smugglers from Erbil.
• The family's migrant boat capsized between Turkey and Greece on October 13.

Search operations have been extended for 24 hours to recover the last missing child of a Slemani family whose migrant boat capsized between Turkey and Greece on October 13, as relatives launch legal action against Kurdish smugglers from Erbil.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Barzan Raza, the children’s uncle, told Channel8 that today marks the fourth consecutive day that search operations continue for the bodies of his nieces and nephews, adding that they have filed a legal complaint against the smugglers in Turkey and are demanding their arrest.
• Bakir Ali, Head of the Association of Returned Migrants, said increased rainfall and rising water levels could impact the chances of finding the body of the remaining child.

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Regarding the fate of his relatives, Barzan Raza noted that while the bodies of two of his sister's children have been recovered, their sibling Hastyar remains missing.

Raza stated that the smugglers involved are Kurdish individuals originating from Erbil, adding that external attempts are currently being made to halt the search for the third child's body.

He further highlighted that the recovered bodies have not yet been released to the parents, who were only permitted to identify their children via photographs.

Meanwhile, the head of the Association of Returned Migrants confirmed to Channel8 that the organization appointed a representative to follow up on the matter in Turkey immediately following the incident.

Ali stressed that they are actively tracking the fate of the two smugglers.

He further clarified that the missing child’s parents have not been arrested by authorities and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

FYI

The tragic incident involved a five-member family from Slemani, consisting of the parents and their three children, who attempted to cross the maritime border between Turkey and Greece by boat on October 13 in an effort to reach Europe.

The vessel, which was carrying the family and three smugglers, capsized at sea, leaving only the parents and two of the smugglers as survivors.

Search and recovery teams subsequently located the body of the first child, Haryad, on Friday, followed by the recovery of a second sibling, Mela, on Saturday.

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