Background
A.A., who lived in Çivril in Turkey's Denizli Province, disappeared in 2016, shortly after her divorce. She was 21 years old and the mother of a child. Despite her family's report, nothing came of it for years and the file remained open as a missing-person case for a long time.
The file was taken up again as part of work in Turkey to re-examine cases that had remained unsolved.
What happened
Her family said A.A. was taken from her home by her former husband on the pretext of reconciliation after the divorce, and was never heard from again. For years nothing definite emerged about what had happened to her; while the file sat on the shelf, her family kept looking for answers.
Investigation
The Çivril Chief Public Prosecutor's Office reopened the file, and in May 2026 security forces carried out simultaneous operations at eight addresses in the district and detained six people. Among them was A.A.'s former husband.
According to press reports, he confessed during questioning by police and led prosecutors and officers to the place where she was buried, where excavation work followed. The judicial process is ongoing and no final conviction exists; only allegations and investigation details have been reported publicly.
Where it stands today
The case is often cited as an example of how long-dormant missing-person files can still be resolved. For the family, the process has brought answers awaited for years as well as new grief. This page is written in memory of A.A. and in solidarity with families of missing people.