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Sivas investigation: Missing 11-month-old baby's disappearance
An investigation is underway in the Divriği district of Sivas, Turkey, following the disappearance of 11-month-old Büşra Balıkçı from a tent on September 10. Search operations involving the gendarmerie, AFAD, and commandos have utilized drones and tracking dogs. During the search, bloody and torn clothing believed to belong to the infant was discovered approximately 2 to 3 kilometers from the family's tent.
The investigation has seen dramatic shifts in testimony. Initially, the mother, Elif Balıkçı, reported the baby missing and suggested she might have been kidnapped by individuals in a white vehicle. She later alleged that the baby had been sold by the father, Yusuf Balıkçı, for money. In a subsequent statement to prosecutors, the mother changed her claim again, alleging that the father had killed the baby and buried the body in a nearby grazing area.
Authorities have detained nine individuals in connection with the case, including the parents. The Ministry of Family and Social Services has placed the four other children of the family under state protection. A publication ban has been issued regarding the investigation by the Divriği Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Entities
AFAD · Büşra Balıkçı · Divriği · Diyarbakır · Elif Balıkçı · Jandarma · Ministry of Family and Social Services · Yusuf Balıkçı
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 14 SOURCES] Six people have been taken into custody. www.haber3.com · cukurovagazetesi.com · halktv.com.tr · www.odatv.com · www.bizimsivas.com.tr · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 11-month-old Büşra Balıkçı disappeared while sleeping in a tent. www.ilkhaber-gazetesi.com · www.karsmanset.com · www.haberport.com · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.safakgazete.com · +2 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The baby's bloody and torn clothing was found approximately 2 kilometers away from the tent. www.ilkhaber-gazetesi.com · www.karsmanset.com · www.haberport.com · www.safakgazete.com · www.yuksekovahaber.com.tr · +1 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Jandarma is investigating an allegation that the baby was handed over to someone else in exchange for money. www.haber3.com · cukurovagazetesi.com · halktv.com.tr · www.odatv.com · www.bizimsivas.com.tr · +4 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] Search and rescue operations are continuing on the ground and via air using advanced devices. www.ilkhaber-gazetesi.com · www.karsmanset.com · www.haberport.com · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.safakgazete.com · +7 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The mother, Elif Balıkçı, alleged that the baby was handed over to individuals in a white vehicle by the father, Yusuf Balıkçı, in exchange for money. cukurovagazetesi.com · halktv.com.tr · www.odatv.com · www.haber16.com · www.sivasirade.com · +2 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The 11-month-old baby disappeared while sleeping in a tent on September 10. www.bizimsivas.com.tr · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.ilkhaber-gazetesi.com · www.karsmanset.com · www.safakgazete.com · +5 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The mother, Elif Balıkçı, claimed that the initial report of the baby being missing was a fabrication. cukurovagazetesi.com · www.haber16.com · halktv.com.tr · www.sivasirade.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Ministry of Family and Social Services has placed the four other children of the family under state protection.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The number of people detained in connection with the investigation has risen to nine. haber.mynet.com · www.takvim.com.tr
- [● 3 SOURCES] In a changed statement to prosecutors, the mother alleged that the father killed the baby and buried the body in the livestock grazing area. haber.mynet.com