Background
Balçova, a district of İzmir, is known for its geothermal springs and thermal facilities. In 1999 a Norwegian tourist group of about ninety-eight people stayed at the Balçova Thermal Facilities for rheumatism treatment. Among them was E.G., a 47-year-old mother of two.
What happened
E.G. arrived at the facility with a friend on 13 April 1999. On the morning of 19 April 1999 she went out for a walk and did not return. After a search, she was found dead a few days later in woodland near the facility. The case went on record as one of the best-known murders in İzmir to remain unsolved for years.
Investigation
The İzmir Provincial Gendarmerie led the inquiry. Hundreds of personnel searched an area of about twenty kilometres around the facility, and roughly ten thousand people gave oral or written statements. Samples recovered during the autopsy were compared with DNA from about seven hundred people, but the perpetrator was not identified.
Because of legal obstacles, blood and hair samples could not be taken from some foreign tourists at the site. In 2001 a Turkish request to take statements in Norway was not granted; written questions were sent to the Norwegian government, but the answers did not advance the case. About two and a half years later her family travelled to İzmir for information and said they were considering a reward for anyone who came forward.
Where it stands today
As of 2026 the file is still listed among İzmir's unsolved murders. Such files can be re-examined with fresh DNA analysis and new review work, but no development has been announced in this case. This page is written in memory of E.G.