14.01.2026 09:44
The number of Turks who lost their lives in the incident where Erdoğan Akbulak, the owner of Silkar Mining, was caught in the midst of an armed conflict while on a safari trip in Ethiopia, has risen to 2. Turkey's Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Berk Baran, stated that 2 Turkish citizens lost their lives in the attack and that 2 Turkish citizens were rescued.
Details have emerged regarding the incident in which Erdoğan Akbulak, the owner of Silkar Mining, lost his life while caught in the midst of an armed conflict during a safari trip to Ethiopia. It was reported that four Turkish citizens were traveling for a tourist trip, and that two people managed to escape the conflict, while two Turkish citizens, Akbulak and Cengizhan Güngör, lost their lives.
2 TURKISH CITIZENS LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE ATTACK Turkey's Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Berk Baran, provided information about the incident. Baran stated that the attack occurred in the rural area near the city of "Tum" in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, in the early hours of January 12, and that as a result of the attack, two Turkish citizens, Erdoğan Akbulak and Cengizhan Güngör, along with an Ethiopian driver, lost their lives.
Erdoğan Akbulak 2 TURKISH CITIZENS SURVIVED In response to a question about whether there were other Turkish citizens at the scene, Baran stated that four Turkish citizens who came to Ethiopia for a tourist trip were traveling in two vehicles, and that the two people in the front vehicle managed to escape the attack, as reported to him by those who survived without injury.
"THE BODIES WILL BE SENT TO ISTANBUL" Baran noted that the bodies of the surviving Turkish citizens and those who lost their lives were brought to Addis Ababa by plane this morning, stating, "The procedures are ongoing. Our citizens are being hosted at the Embassy, and the bodies will be sent tonight on a Turkish Airlines flight to arrive in Istanbul tomorrow morning."
"ETHIOPIAN AUTHORITIES DISPLAYED EXEMPLARY COOPERATION AND SUPPORT" Baran emphasized the approach of Ethiopian authorities regarding the attack, stating, "As soon as the incident was reported, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted us, expressing condolences and well wishes. A task force, including representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Tourism, and Defense, as well as federal and local police units, has been assigned to investigate the incident and to bring our citizens and the bodies to Addis Ababa. Ethiopian authorities displayed exemplary cooperation and support."
Turkey's Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Berk Baran INVESTIGATION RESULTS ARE AWAITED TO FIND THE PERPETRATORS Baran conveyed that the results of the investigation to be conducted by Ethiopian authorities to find the perpetrators of the attack are awaited, stating that the area where the attack occurred is visited by numerous tourist groups throughout the year, including Turkish tourists.
Baran mentioned that it is beneficial for tourists to research the area they will be visiting before their travels, stating, "For this purpose, we are ready to provide necessary guidance to citizens who contact our Embassy."
Ambassador Baran extended his condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives in the attack and wished a speedy recovery to the survivors.