Grandmother, granddaughter found 30 hours after reported lost in Turkey’s west

İZMİR

A 55-year-old grandmother and her 1.5-year-old granddaughter were found 30 hours after they were reported lost in the Tire district of the western province of İzmir.

The two were found in under a tree in a mountainous region by the local gendarmerie and Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) teams when their cries were heard, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on July 5.

The two who were found some four kilometers outside their Tire neighborhood and only had cucumbers and water for nutrition during the period they were missing, the report added.

The grandmother was quoted as saying that she left the house following an argument between her and her son-in-law.

She was taken to the local gendarmerie command after the two were found but released shortly afterward, the report said.

The granddaughter, on the other hand, was held in a short stay unit until she was reunited with her parents, Anadolu Agency reported.

Rüya’s father thanked the authorities, including those involved in the search and rescue process, for their efforts.

“I hope God bestows the same blessing to other families who remain apart from their children. I wish patience and endurance to the families of those children who have died in [the eastern province of] Ağrı and in Ankara,” Hakan Çelik, the father said.

’Lost children’ debate sparks once again across Turkey

Three children who have gone missing have made headlines across Turkey over the past two weeks.

While two of the three youngsters have been found dead, one of them is still being sought for by volunteers, law enforcement officials and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

A four-year-old girl whose dead body was found on July 2 in the eastern province of Ağrı lost her life due to starvation as initial findings have not determined beating or sexual abuse, Ağrı Governor Süleyman Elban said on July 3.

Leyla Aydemir was reported lost on June 15 after she came from the city center with her parents to visit her grandfather in the village of Bezirhane.

For 18 days, teams have dugs holes, closely inspected reed fields, and headed down wells around the village, but they have been unable to bring back good news.

In Ankara, a young girl, Eylül Yağlıkara, was found dead on June 1, buried by an electricity pole after a week of comprehensive searches conducted by the authorities.

Her death sparked outrage across Turkey, where many people closely followed the search process that went on for around two weeks.