The Grandmother of Little Nazar, Who Was Kidnapped for 7 Years in Bursa, Made a Statement

The first hearing of the case regarding the kidnapping of 8-year-old Nazar S, who was kidnapped 7 years ago at the age of 1 and was found and handed over to his foreign mother Rebecca S in March, was held.The trial of Nazar S, who was kidnapped by his foreign mother Rebecca S, was attended by defendants Gülşen A, Ayşe T, Hanife T, and Mustafa T, as well as their lawyers.Defendant Recai M did not attend the hearing, while the child's grandmother, defendant Hanife S, made a statement via SEGBİS. Hanife S stated that her grandson was born abroad and that her son Umut K and Rebecca S came to Turkey, and after a dispute, her son took the child and left.After the death of her son Umut K, Hanife S took care of her grandson, saying, 'My son had introduced our family to my grandson through WhatsApp and photos before he passed away. So, my grandson knew I was his grandmother. I didn't need to make any effort for him to accept me as his grandmother. He already knew me, but since he had lost his father, I couldn't leave him, he was my grandson. I took it upon myself to take care of him after my son's death.'Hanife S also stated that she told her grandson about his mother, saying, 'My grandson is a child who loves to move and run, and is also a bit clumsy. We would even go for morning runs together. I am aware that Rebecca's lawyer presented a psychoterapy report dated July 19, but I do not accept any negative findings regarding my grandson's health. My grandson would sometimes ask me who his mother was, and I would show him videos and photos of Rebecca. We would watch TV shows, news, and cartoons together, but he never said he missed his mother. I would tell him that he would eventually be reunited with his mother, and that the reason his mother was not with us was because she and his father had a dispute, but that it would not take long for him to see his mother again.'Hanife S stated that she acted with her conscience, saying, 'I did not commit a crime. I may have made some wrong decisions. As a mother and a grandmother, I acted with my conscience, thinking that my grandson would be taken away from me.'Hanife S denied the allegations of human trafficking, saying, 'I protected my grandson from everything. I made sure not to harm a single hair on his head. If my daughter-in-law had communicated with me in a healthy way and come to Turkey, maybe things would not have turned out like this. I am 60 years old, and prison conditions are not suitable for me. I understand that I restricted my grandson's freedom, but I do not accept the allegations of human trafficking.'The court, after hearing the other defendants and witnesses, decided to continue Hanife S's detention and postponed the hearing to complete the missing files.After the hearing, Rebecca S's lawyer, Sevilay Demirsu, stated that all defendants made statements to avoid punishment and that reports prepared in Turkey and Germany showed that the child was seriously isolated.Demirsu said, 'However, the mother and father were not married. The child was born out of wedlock, and according to German law, custody is directly granted to the mother. There is no blood relationship established between the father and the child, so it is not clear whether he is the father according to Turkish law or universal law.' Demirsu also stated that the indictment was prepared in detail and that they believed the defendants would receive the necessary punishment.