21.08.2025 02:05
It has been a year since the murder of Narin Güran, which became a prominent issue in Turkey following her disappearance. The Güran family announced that they would begin a "vigil for justice" at Narin's grave on August 21 at 11:00 AM.
It has been a year since the murder of Narin Güran, whose lifeless body was found in a stream bed 19 days after she went missing on August 21, 2024, in Diyarbakır. While the murder case has been sent to the Court of Cassation, a definitive decision regarding the defendants will be made after the review by the 1st Criminal Chamber.
A lawsuit has been filed against 4 individuals regarding the death of Narin Güran, who was found lifeless in a sack, covered with three stones weighing 30, 25, and 20 kilograms, and hidden with bushes on the 19th day of the search efforts after she went missing in the rural Tavşantepe neighborhood of the Bağlar district on August 21, 2024. Her uncle Salim Güran, who had DNA and hair samples belonging to Narin in his vehicle, along with her mother Yüksel Güran and her brother Enes Güran, were taken into custody. Afterward, a neighbor named Nevzat Bahtiyar, who confessed to transporting the body to the stream bed, was charged with 'intentional murder of a child in complicity' and an aggravated life sentence was requested. In the second hearing of the case held on December 28, Salim Güran, Enes Güran, and Yüksel Güran were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for 'intentional murder of a child in complicity,' while Nevzat Bahtiyar received a 4-year and 6-month prison sentence for 'destroying, concealing, or altering evidence.' The court ruled for the continuation of the defendants' detention.
APPEAL COURT UPHELD THE SENTENCES
The lawyers of the detained defendants, the lawyers of the complainant, father Arif Güran, and the appeal petitions submitted by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Diyarbakır Bar Association were examined at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court. The case file, consisting of 17 folders, along with the appeal applications, was sent to the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice for evaluation. The Regional Court of Justice 1st Criminal Chamber, which reviewed the file and the applications, upheld the prison sentences given to the 4 defendants by a majority vote in its decision on May 26.
COURT PRESIDENT DISSENTED
The court president dissented from the decision taken by majority vote, listing his reasons. In his dissent, the court president stated that the camera recordings, base reports, and DNA findings in the file were inadequately and insufficiently examined, emphasizing that the movements of Nevzat Bahtiyar needed to be clarified through detailed video analysis. He highlighted that the assumption that the mother, brother, and uncle collectively and quickly killed Narin was contrary to reason and the ordinary course of life. He also expressed that critical evidence such as PSA and hair samples had not been sufficiently scientifically investigated, and due to all these inadequate examinations, the decision should be overturned.
THE COURT OF CASSATION'S CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR REQUESTED THE UPHOLDING OF SENTENCES
The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation prepared a notification regarding the upholding of sentences in the murder case. The notification was sent to the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation. In the notification, it was requested that the life sentences given to the defendants Salim Güran, Yüksel Güran, and Enes Güran be upheld. It was also stated that the decision regarding the defendant Nevzat Bahtiyar, who was sentenced for 'destroying evidence,' was in accordance with the law, and it was requested that this decision be upheld. The appeal request of the Diyarbakır Bar Association was rejected on the grounds that it did not have the right to participate in the case. In the appeals of the defendants' lawyers, it was stated that the investigation was conducted inadequately, the evidence was insufficient, there was not enough evidence to prove that the defendants had direct control over the actions, the decision lacked justification, and the principle of 'in case of doubt, the defendant benefits' was violated, and these claims were found to be unfounded. The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation will examine the file and make its final decision.
THE FAMILY WILL START THE 'JUSTICE VIGIL'
It has been a year since the murder of Narin Güran, which has been a topic of discussion in Turkey since her disappearance and has remained in the public eye. During that time, Narin Güran's name has been given to many parks and schools in different regions of Turkey. The Güran family announced in a written statement made a few days ago that they would start a 'justice vigil' at 11:00 AM on August 21 at Narin's grave in Tavşantepe neighborhood and would hold a press conference.