Turkish police confirmed on Thursday they
were searching for a 29-year-old man who is believed to have fled to his
Turkish home area after murdering an eight-year-old girl in Germany, dpa reported.
In Germany, police said DNA traces indicated that Ali Kur raped and
murdered Kardelen, the daughter of his Turkish neighbours, in his own rental
apartment in the city of Paderborn before dumping her body in woods 60 kilometres away.
Public prosecutor Horst Ruerup said he was in close touch with Turkish police
over the case. Kur was believed to have bolted to the Izmir region in western Turkey. Ruerup said it was only a matter of time before Kur was recognized by a member of
the public.
Ruerup said Turkish prosecutors had warned they could not extradite Kur, but
would try him in a Turkish court if he were caught.
"Of course we will respect that position," Ruerup said, noting that
Turkish law ordains life imprisonment for such crimes.
Police in Aydin said they were searching for the man, whose father lives in the
city.
Kardelen lived in the same building as Kur. She disappeared on January 12. Her
naked body was found two days later.
Both German and Turkish newspapers have closely followed the murder. Coverage
in Turkey of the girl's funeral in the Black Sea coastal town of Ordu was extensive. On Thursday, Turkish newspapers carried large wanted photographs of
the suspect.
Ruerup indicated German police suspected Kur must have had an accomplice, as he
did not own a car or have a driver's licence, yet had managed to take the body 60 kilometres to remote hills and leave it on the soil under branches near the Moehnesee water
reservoir.
"If somebody did lend him a car, they would be wise to own up now, both to
support police inquiries in due time and to eliminate any suspicion against
themselves," Ruerup warned.
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