Background
Kemer, in Turkey's Antalya Province, is a coastal resort where the Taurus Mountains meet the sea, surrounded by pine forest. It also receives visitors in winter. The wooded hills start right behind the hotels and look easy to reach, but the terrain is rugged and it can be hard to keep your bearings.
N.Y., a 40-year-old Russian tourist, checked into a five-star hotel in Kemer's Kiriş neighbourhood on 31 December 2023 for the New Year holiday.
What happened
On 4 January 2024, N.Y. left the hotel for a solo nature walk and did not return. She was due to check out on 8 January and fly home to Russia. When staff could not reach her, authorities were informed, and checks showed she had not left through the airport. Her belongings and documents were in her room, but her mobile phone was not.
After the report, police, AFAD and volunteer rescue teams began a search based on the information that she had last walked toward Çalış Tepesi. From 10 January a team of about forty people worked in the area.
Investigation
On 12 January 2024, teams found N.Y.'s body in woodland roughly four hundred metres from the Kiriş road. The body was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution to establish the cause of death, and the Kemer Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opened a judicial investigation.
According to the police statement, nothing suspicious was found at the scene. Information about the inquiry was shared with the public only in limited form, and no suspect has been identified. Her body was sent to Moscow a few days later.
Where it stands today
The case is a reminder of the risks of walking alone in terrain where daylight is short in winter and conditions can change quickly. Practices such as hotels recording guests' hiking plans and acting quickly when a guest is late can save time in similar situations. This page is written in memory of N.Y.