Where Is Huseyin Galip Kucukozyigit? The Story of a Missing Official in Turkey
Turkey’s season of mysterious disappearances is back after a purged public worker went missing in Ankara.
On Feb. 17, Huseyin Galip Kucukozyigit, a high-profile former public official who previously worked as a legal advisor in the now-defunct Public Ministry, turned 48. This past Wednesday was his birthday. But there was little motivation for a celebration among his family members. It has been more than 50 days since he mysteriously disappeared without leaving a trace behind, plunging his family into a desperate search for his whereabouts amid renewed fears about his wellbeing.
On Dec. 29, Kucukozyigit left his office in the Maltepe district of Ankara on a cold December day. Purged by an emergency decree during the post-coup crackdown after 2016, he somehow was lucky to land a job to offer his legal expertise at a private company. The last time he communicated with his family was that Tuesday when he notified that he could visit the family residing in the western province of Kocaeli (a three-hour drive from Ankara) after his work was over. Since Dec. 29, his family did not get a word from him. Since that day, the officials have offered no explanation about the bizarre incident.
