Sentence increased to 17 years for key suspect in Narin Güran murder

DİYARBAKIR

A Turkish court has increased the prison sentence of the suspect Nevzat Bahtiyar to 17 years in the high-profile murder case of 8-year-old Narin Güran, following a retrial ordered by the country’s top court.

Bahtiyar was previously sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for destroying, concealing or altering evidence.

However, the Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, stating that his actions should be evaluated as aiding in intentional murder.

At the retrial held at a high criminal court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, judges rejected a motion by the victim’s family lawyers to recuse the panel, ruling that the request aimed to delay proceedings.

The court then convicted Bahtiyar of “aiding intentional killing under aggravated circumstances” and handed down a 17-year prison sentence on April 16.

The hearing was attended by Narin Güran’s father, Arif Güran, family members, the defendant and his relatives, as well as lawyers and a heavy security presence.

Narin Güran went missing on Aug. 21, 2024, in Diyarbakır. Her body was found on Sept. 8, 2024, in a nearby stream.

In the initial trial, three close family members — her mother Yüksel Güran, her brother Enes Güran and her uncle Salim Güran — were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the intentional killing of a child.

The high court confirmed the aggravated sentences for the family members on Dec. 29 last year.

The killing of the child by her family members caused widespread public outrage and sparked months of intense discussion across multiple aspects of the case.

Following the incident, a parliamentary commission was established with the aim of determining the measures needed to protect children from all forms of violence, neglect and abuse and to ensure the development of their mental, emotional and physical well-being.