05.03.2025 18:10
While the search efforts continue for architect Ece Gürel, who went missing in Belgrad Forest in Istanbul, her relative Yusuf Çeştepe made striking statements. Çeştepe said, "On Friday, they are firing Ece from her job, making her sign a contract that says she won't receive her compensation. They are putting her in the same room with 4-5 lawyers. We don't know what kind of psychological pressure she faced there, what happened, or what kind of mobbing was applied."
After telling her friend that she went to Belgrad Forest in Istanbul, Ece Gürel (36), who has not been heard from since, is the subject of ongoing search and rescue efforts in Belgrad Forest. Divers who arrived at the pond early yesterday morning conducted a search in the water; in the afternoon, a bag, mobile phone, and jacket belonging to Ece Gürel were found. The search efforts, which resumed this morning, are being followed by Gürel's relatives. Gürel's relative Yusuf Çeştepe stated, "At the beginning of the week, they asked Ece, 'Are you going to work?' She replied, 'I will work, I said it in anger, I will not resign.' They said okay on Monday. They made her work until Friday; on Friday, at the end of the workday, they called Ece into the room. They said, 'Since you said this, you will sign.' They pressured Ece, and she signed," he expressed.
NEWS ABOUT ARCHITECT ECE GÜREL IS UNAVAILABLE After leaving her home in Kağıthane Gültepe neighborhood on Sunday afternoon and sending a message to her friend that she went to Belgrad Forest, Ece Gürel has not been heard from again. It was learned that Gürel is a landscape architect, and upon her friend's report, many search and rescue teams, including AFAD and AKUT, initiated search and rescue operations in Belgrad Forest. Gürel's family, who filed a missing person report with the police, also went to the area to follow the search efforts.
SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN THE POND Starting from Tuesday morning, the underwater search and rescue team affiliated with the IBB also joined the search efforts. After conducting a surface search, the team that arrived at the pond also performed a dive for bottom scanning. Gürel's husband, Sezer Gürel, who was in the area, also observed the efforts.
FOOTAGE OF THE MOMENT THE JACKET WAS FOUND HAS EMERGED During the searches, Ece Gürel's bag, jacket, and mobile phone were found in the forest. The found items were taken by police teams in evidence bags for examination. Those images were captured on camera. On the other hand, the search efforts for Ece Gürel continued from the air with a drone brought to the area until the evening hours.
"SHE WAS VERY ATTACHED TO HER FAMILY" The search efforts for Ece Gürel resumed early in the morning. In addition to AKUT and other search and rescue teams, K-9 dog search and rescue teams are also participating in the efforts. Gürel's relatives are also following the search efforts. Ece Gürel's relative Yusuf Çeştepe stated, "Her family informed us that they could not reach Ece. They called on Sunday, and her phone rang from 3 to 6. Normally, she was in contact with her husband and family. She spoke with her mother saying, 'I am going for a walk.' Then, until 3 o'clock, there were no issues with the phone calls. From 3 to 6, she did not answer her phone. After 6, her phone became unreachable. After that, her family started to panic. As her family and relatives, we started searching for Ece. Because Ece would not do such a thing without informing her family. She is very attached to her family. Especially to her mother and father. The fact that she turned off her phone caught our attention. That's why we started searching for Ece," he said.
"THEY PUT HER IN THE SAME ROOM WITH 4-5 LAWYERS" Yusuf Çeştepe said: "As far as I know, the problem does not start with her husband. The problem starts at work. She started as a secretary at a law firm; she has a 10-year history. Normally, her suggestion is that she is a landscape architect. She graduated from the Forestry Faculty. She is not a stranger to the area; she spent 4 years as a student here. She loves nature and enjoys taking photos. She is a person who frequently wanders in forested areas. They fired Ece from work on Friday, making her sign a contract that she would not receive her severance pay. They put her in the same room with 4-5 lawyers. We do not know what kind of psychological pressure she faced there, what happened, and what kind of mobbing was applied. We do not know if it was a 1-week or 10-day process. The problem at Ece's workplace starts when it snows. When it snows, Ece says, 'I will resign then,' and there is a dispute between them. After that, they made Ece work for another week. At the beginning of the week, they asked Ece, 'Are you going to work?' She replied, 'I will work, I said it in anger, I will not resign.' They said okay on Monday. They made her work until Friday; on Friday, at the end of the workday, they called Ece into the room. They said, 'Since you said this, you will sign.' They pressured Ece, and she signed."
"WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF PSYCHOLOGY SHE WAS SUBJECTED TO" Çeştepe stated, "Ece used to meditate, and she was interested in tarot reading. She loved to meditate and was very curious about those energy-related things. We think that is the reason she came here. We believe she came for meditation. We think she came to relax, but unfortunately, we cannot find her anywhere. We do not know in what condition she is right now. We are waiting to find Ece safe and sound; we do not want to think negatively. A week ago, we were saying, 'She wouldn't do that.' We do not know what kind of situation she was subjected to during this 10-day process. We hope to find Ece. Hopefully, it will be so. Our hope is in this direction," he said.
"WE CAME HERE WITH MY WIFE 3-4 YEARS AGO" Ece Gürel's cousin İlker Koçoğlu said, "My uncle called on Monday morning to inform me. That’s how I learned about it. The process is the same. She is not a person who would harm herself. She was cheerful and understanding towards others. No matter what happens, she wouldn't do that. She would inform her father, mother, or a relative," he said. Ece Gürel's husband, Sezer Gürel, began his words by saying, "My mind is a bit confused; I haven't slept for hours." Gürel said, "She didn't come often. My wife and I came together 3-4 years ago. That day, she wanted to come herself. The person my wife sent a photo to is her friend. I was at home resting on the day of the incident," he said. Meanwhile, the underwater search efforts by diving police continue in the lake.
172 POLICE PERSONNEL AND 2 CADAVER DOGS Information was shared by the Istanbul Police Department on the 4th day of the search efforts.
It was stated that a total of 172 personnel and 2 cadaver dogs, including the Public Order, Maritime Port, Special Operations, Riot Police, and Sarıyer District Police units, were involved in the operations, along with AFAD, Gendarmerie, relevant government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. It was also expressed that a total of 291 personnel and 8 cadaver tracking dogs from all institutions and non-governmental organizations participated in the operations.