Turkish professor disappears in Colombia

ANKARA

Turkish academic Prof. Dr. Ramazan Gençay, a Simon Fraser University (SFU) economics professor, has vanished in the city of Medellín, Colombia and been missing for almost a week.

Gencay, also a Canadian citizen, traveled to Colombia on Nov. 28 to attend several seminars at the Center for Research in Economics and Finance of the EAFIT University in Medellín.

The last time he was captured on CCTV footage was on Dec. 6 at around 10:30 p.m. with a group of unidentified people at a salsa club in Medellín.

Ever since, he hasn’t responded to phone calls, but his credit card was reported to be used on Dec. 7-8. His personal belongings and passport were found in his hotel room.

Colombian officials and police are on the case, the Turkish Embassy in Bogota told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reporters.

Family members and friends are trying to spread the word using their social media accounts that Gencay is missing.

“He is without his medication. Please contact the police if you have information about his whereabouts,” Carole Gencay, the wife of the missing academic, posted on her Facebook profile.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed that the federal government is aware of the disappearance of the Turkish professor and that they are in touch with Colombian officials.

“We are worried. I hope you will be found as soon as possible. [SFU] will do anything in its power to find Gencay,” said Angela Wilson, an official from SFU.

Gencay is an economics professor and author whose books have been cited 2,213 times. In 2000, he won the Young Scientist Award of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.