Büşra Balıkçı disappearance investigation leads to six arrests in Sivas

Search operations continue for 11-month-old Büşra Balıkçı, who disappeared from a tent in the İncidere Plateau of Divriği, Sivas, on September 10. Despite the use of drones, AI-supported UAVs, and tracking dogs, no trace of the infant has been found after 14 days.

The investigation has been complicated by conflicting statements from the mother, Elif Balıkçı. She initially claimed the child was sold for money due to her husband's debts, but later changed her testimony to allege that her husband, Yusuf Balıkçı, murdered the infant and abandoned the body in a rocky area. Yusuf Balıkçı has denied all accusations, claiming his wife is making false statements.

Authorities have arrested six family members, including the parents, on charges related to the intentional killing of a child. Other relatives were detained for destroying evidence and sheltering a criminal. A person of interest named Mehmet K., mentioned in statements from the couple's other children, was released under judicial control after no incriminating evidence was found in HTS records. The couple's four other children have been placed under state protection at the Sivas 4 Eylül Child Home.