An 11-month-old baby was reported missing in Turkey, but the mother reveals the truth: The father had handed her over for money

The case of an 11-month-old baby reported missing in Turkey has taken a shocking turn after the mother’s testimony raised suspicions that the girl may have been sold.

After three days of intensive searches, the baby’s parents and four other people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Those detained include Elif Balıkçı, 27, the baby’s mother, her father YB, and four other people. The arrests were carried out in the Divriği district of Sivas province.

Elif Balıkçı told authorities that her father had handed the baby over to several people in exchange for money. According to her, the report that the child was missing had been fabricated.

The incident was reported on September 10 in the village of Gündüren, in Divriği province, after the mother called the 112 Emergency Center and said she could not find her daughter, Busra, in the tent where they lived.

Following the report, AFAD and gendarmerie teams were deployed to the area and began searching for the baby.

The operation involved AFAD teams, commandos and gendarmerie forces. Drones with artificial intelligence, as well as search dogs, were also used to locate the child.

During her testimony, the mother said that on the night of September 10, while Busra was sleeping in the tent, a white car had arrived nearby.

She said that one of the two people who got out of the vehicle entered the tent, took the baby and left.

However, in another part of her testimony, Elif Balıkçı stated that the girl had previously been handed over to the same people by her father, YB, in exchange for payment.

She added that four people living in the tent area had witnessed the incident and that the story about Busra’s disappearance had been constructed to conceal the truth.

The six arrested individuals are expected to appear before the court on Monday. Meanwhile, the investigation continues to fully clarify the circumstances and determine the baby’s whereabouts.