Imprisoned former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş to meet father of slain 8-year-old Narin Güran

Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) who has been detained in Edirne Cezaevi for more than a decade, is scheduled to meet with Arif Güran, the father of 8-year-old Narin Güran, a child who was killed in Diyarbakır. The meeting, authorised by a special permit from the Adalet Bakanlığı (Ministry of Justice), is set to take place tomorrow, July 31, at 10:00 a.m.

According to reports, Demirtaş obtained the case file related to Narin Güran’s murder through his lawyers and carried out a detailed review of the documents ahead of the meeting. Following his planned private conversation with Arif Güran, Demirtaş is expected to release a written statement to the public outlining his observations or any positions he intends to take in relation to the case.

Demirtaş’s long-term detention in Edirne Cezaevi has made any of his external contacts and public interventions notable. While the details of the meeting’s location beyond the official permission have not been specified by authorities, the arrangement itself reflects an unusual instance in which a high-profile imprisoned political figure will meet directly with a victim’s family in a case of violent crime.

The father, Arif Güran, has been identified as the parent of the child killed in Diyarbakır; the article does not provide details about the circumstances of Narin Güran’s death or the status of the judicial proceedings beyond indicating that there is a case file that Demirtaş has reviewed. Information released by Demirtaş’s legal team or his subsequent written statement may offer further detail on what he learned from the file and the matters discussed during the meeting.

This visit follows a prior instance in which Demirtaş met with the family of Rojin Kabaiş, a person who died under suspicious circumstances in Van. That prior engagement established a pattern of Demirtaş engaging with families of victims while remaining incarcerated, actions that he and his supporters have framed as part of his broader political and social advocacy. The new meeting with Arif Güran similarly will be watched by human rights observers, political actors, and the families involved for any developments or calls for accountability.

Observers note that such meetings can have multiple implications: they may provide families with a platform to raise questions and seek attention for their cases, allow imprisoned figures to offer solidarity or commentary, and potentially influence public debate about investigations and justice processes. The special permission granted by the Ministry of Justice underlines that access to imprisoned political figures remains subject to administrative controls.

At the time of publication there is no immediate public information about the contents of the case file Demirtaş reviewed or any specific outcomes expected from the meeting beyond the planned written statement. Further reporting will depend on the text of that statement and any subsequent comments from the parties involved, legal representatives, or officials handling the case.

For now, the scheduled meeting represents a convergence of issues this publication monitors closely: the rights and conditions of political prisoners, the avenues available for victims’ families to seek engagement with influential figures, and questions about accountability and the handling of criminal investigations in Turkey.