Mekiye Akyel disappearance in Siirt escalates with alleged murder claim

Mekiye Akyel, a mother of four, vanished in the Baykan district of Siirt province in 2024, a day after her divorce. Her sister, Halime Pilgir, alleges that Akyel was burned alive in a tandır and that her remains were thrown into the Tillo River. Pilgir says she has received threats, including the phrase “Derin yüzülecek, dilin koparılacak,” and has been sent photographs to intimidate her and journalists.

The family’s lawyer, Gurbet Bilbay, says the investigation remains in the inquiry stage because the body has not been found. He has requested that the Jandarma Arama Kurtarma (JAK) unit be deployed for a thorough search, and notes that three suspects have been detained but the lack of a corpse makes prosecution difficult. The case continues to draw attention in the region.