A shocking development has occurred in the case of the disappearance of an 11-month-old baby in Turkey, who had been reported missing for three days and had sparked an extensive search operation.
The arrest of the parents and four other people has raised strong suspicions that the baby may have been sold.
In the Divrigi neighborhood of Sivas province, the baby’s mother, Elif Balikçi, 27, her father, YB, as well as four other people, have been taken into custody.
During her testimony, the mother stated that the baby was handed over to third parties by her father in exchange for money, while the claim of her disappearance was false.
The incident was reported on September 10, in the village of Gündüren, in the province of Divrig.
Elif Balikçi, who had come from Diyarbakir as a seasonal worker and was involved in livestock farming, called the 112 Emergency Center and reported that she could not find her daughter, Busra, in the tent where they lived.
The 56-year-old son left his mother on the bathroom floor for two weeks among insects…
After the call, AFAD and gendarmerie teams were sent to the area, which launched an extensive search operation to find the baby.
AFAD teams, commandos and gendarmerie forces participated in the operation. Artificial intelligence drones and trained detection dogs were also used for the search.
In her testimony, Elif Balikçi stated that on the night of September 10, while her daughter Busra was sleeping in the tent, a white car arrived in the area.
According to her, one of the two people who got out of the vehicle entered the tent, took the baby and left.
However, the mother stated that the baby had been previously handed over to these people by her father, YB, in exchange for money.
She also claimed that four people living in the tent area had witnessed the event and that the story of the “disappearance” was fabricated.
The six arrested are expected to appear in court on Monday, while investigations continue to clarify the circumstances of the incident and determine the whereabouts of the baby.