05.04.2026 16:42
Nizamettin Kabaiş, the father of Rojin Kabaiş, whose lifeless body was found on the beach 18 days after leaving the student dormitory in Van in 2024, stated that he met with Justice Minister Akın Gürlek during his recent visit to Diyarbakır. Kabaiş said, "Her mother asked, 'What happened to my child? Who did this? Why is this case not being solved?' The Justice Minister said, 'We will do what is necessary.'"
On September 27, 2024, Rojin Kabaiş (21), who left the student dormitory in Van, was found dead 18 days later on the shores of Lake Van in the Molla Kasım neighborhood. Nizamettin Kabaiş, her father, reported that his family met with Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, who visited Diyarbakır on April 3, Friday, stating, "Rojin's sisters and mother met with Justice Minister Akın Gürlek at the Governor's Office. Her mother asked, 'What happened to my child? Who did this? Why is this case not being solved?' The Justice Minister said, 'We will do what is necessary.'
"WHERE WAS ROJIN FOR 18 DAYS?"
Nizamettin Kabaiş stated in a statement to ANKA News Agency that they have been suffering for 2 years. Expressing that they seek justice for Rojin, for women, and for children, Kabaiş said, "Why is this case not being clarified? We are suffering a lot. There are many questions being asked. Those questions have remained unanswered so far. Lawyers are asking this; where was our young girl for 18 days? On which day was she murdered? This can be determined. A diatom test has not been conducted. The lavral inside this young girl's ear can also indicate the date of death. Why has Rojin's phone still not been opened 18 months later? Why has it taken so long?" he asked.
"THOSE WHO SENT THE THREATS ARE CONNECTED TO THE MURDERERS"
Kabaiş reported that they have received threats, stating, "The people who sent those threats are definitely connected to those murderers. We showed it to the Van Chief Public Prosecutor, shared it with lawyers for 6 months. We constantly receive threat messages from different numbers. Threat messages are being sent to me, my children, my family, and my siblings. In other words, our safety is not guaranteed," he said.
"THE JUSTICE MINISTER SAID 'WE WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY'"
Kabaiş, who informed that he was in Istanbul during Justice Minister Akın Gürlek's visit to Diyarbakır, said, "I could not meet with the Justice Minister, but my family did. Rojin's sisters and mother met with Justice Minister Akın Gürlek at the Governor's Office. Her mother asked, 'What happened to my child? Who did this? Why is this case not being solved?' The Justice Minister said, 'We will do what is necessary.'
Kabaiş conveyed that Rojin's sister wanted "the DNA of all the men in the nearby two villages, the university, the rector, and their relatives to be examined." He explained that his eldest daughter conveyed the threats they received to Gürlek, who stated, "We have captured two people abroad who are threatening you."
"THE STATE SHOULD ASSEMBLE A SPECIAL TEAM"
Kabaiş continued his remarks: "They have harmed Rojin's throat, there are bruises on her back and hand. Her pinky finger is broken. All of these are evidence, proof. It is clear that it is a murder. I kindly request the great ones of the state to prepare a specialized team. A specialized team should be sent from Ankara or Istanbul to Van. Everything should be thoroughly investigated from the beginning."
Did this lifeless body really come from the water? Or did someone leave it there at night? Did any car come and go? They did not tell us anything clearly. Because there are many cameras. The cause of my child's death is the dormitory and the university. I entrusted them to them. They are responsible."
"THE RECTOR SHOULD HAVE STOOD BY US"
Nizamettin Kabaiş claimed that the rector was also "trying to destroy evidence," saying: "He did nothing. The rector should have stood by us. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The rector was obstructing those who were investigating, YouTubers, journalists, saying, 'Do not share.' He had the accounts of those who shared about the cause of Rojin's death closed. He used violence against students. Students protested for 22 days, held sit-ins. It is not a political matter. The students say, 'What happened to our classmate?' They did not stand by my child, and the responsible parties are the rector and the dormitory. They are the cause of death. I will not let them go. I will not give up on this case. Even if 50 years pass, I will continue to fight."
THE ROJIN KABAİŞ CASE
21-year-old Rojin Kabaiş, a first-year student in the Preschool Teaching Department at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, went missing on the evening of September 27, just three days after starting school, on the shores of Lake Van. Her lifeless body was found 18 days later, on October 15, at the Molla Kasım Village Shore, 24 kilometers away from where she went missing, following a citizen's tip-off.