Eskişehir cold case solved: Father arrested for 2012 child murder

A 14-year-old cold case in Eskişehir, Turkey, has been solved following the establishment of the Ministry of Justice’s Unsolved Crimes Research Department. The investigation into the 2012 disappearance and death of 2.5-year-old Yakup Bozkurt has led to the arrest of his father, Abdurrezzak Bozkurt.

In 2012, the child went missing in the Seyitgazi district, and his body was later found buried in a concrete pipe. Following a recent review by the Jandarma Crime Investigation Team (JASAT), the child's mother, Huriye Çiftçi, provided a decisive statement. She testified that shortly after the disappearance, her former husband appeared with blood on his hands and trembling hands, asking for wound ointment. She stated that he had confessed to the killing during an argument.

As part of the renewed investigation, six suspects were initially detained. Abdurrezzak Bozkurt has been formally arrested by the court, while other suspects were released. The Ministry of Justice noted that this case is one of several recent breakthroughs in their ongoing efforts to resolve long-standing unsolved murders using new technological capabilities and specialized units.