08.08.2026 11:00
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that significant findings have been reached in the investigations into the deaths of two children, which were reported to have been disguised as suicide and an accident. Following findings indicating that the death of 14-year-old Damlanur Sarihan in Van was not a suicide, 7 suspects were detained, while in Afyonkarahisar, it was revealed that 4-year-old Yunus Emre Yakar did not fall from a height but was killed by beating.
Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek made a statement about the efforts being carried out to shed light on unsolved incidents.
Gürlek stated, "Just as justice must not be delayed, the truth must not remain in the dark is indispensable for us," noting that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, efforts are ongoing with the cooperation of the Ministries of Justice and Interior Affairs, and the coordination of Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices and security forces.
Minister Gürlek announced that within this scope, significant progress has been recorded in two incidents that wounded the public conscience.
TWO DEATHS DISGUISED AS SUICIDE AND ACCIDENT PUT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Stating that a joint effort is being carried out by the Van and Afyonkarahisar Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices and Provincial Gendarmerie Command under the coordination of the Department for Investigating Unsolved Crimes, Gürlek stated that the facts behind two death incidents disguised as suicide and accident have been brought to light.
The first incident concerned the death of 14-year-old Damlanur Sarihan, who lost her life on January 10, 2024, in the Başkale district of Van.
NOTEWORTHY FINDINGS IN THE DEATH OF 14-YEAR-OLD DAMLANUR
According to Gürlek's statement, during the efforts, significant findings were obtained indicating that Damlanur Sarihan's death was not a suicide.
Within the scope of the investigation, statements from confidential witnesses, contradictory testimonies of family members, the presence of gunshot residue on the hands of one of the suspects, the nature of the weapon used in the incident, the absence of fingerprints on the weapon, and communication records after the incident were evaluated together.
Following the findings obtained, the investigation was deepened under the suspicion of "intentional killing."
SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION IN 3 PROVINCES: 7 DETAINED
Within the scope of the investigation, on August 7, 2026, simultaneous operations were carried out in Tekirdağ, Hakkari, and Van.
Seven suspects were detained in the operations. It was stated that the investigation is being deepened to fully reveal all aspects of the events behind Damlanur Sarihan's death.
IT WAS REVEALED THAT 4-YEAR-OLD YUNUS EMRE DID NOT FALL FROM A HEIGHT
The second incident in Minister Gürlek's statement was the death of 4-year-old Yunus Emre Yakar, who lost his life on January 24, 2026, in Afyonkarahisar.
Gürlek announced that as a result of the efforts carried out, it was revealed that the young child did not fall from a height, but was killed by beatings.
Following the detection of discrepancies between the autopsy findings and the statements of the suspects, the investigation was deepened.
AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DISGUISE THE INCIDENT AS "FALLING FROM A HEIGHT"
The findings obtained within the scope of the investigation revealed that an attempt was made to present the death of Yunus Emre Yakar as "falling from a height."
Judicial authorities expanded their efforts to uncover the background of the incident by examining the autopsy results and inconsistencies among the suspects' statements. Minister Gürlek reported that as a result of the examinations, it was determined that 4-year-old Yunus Emre was killed by beatings.