The Tribune

A TURKISH family is offering a $100,000 reward for any information that leads to the return of their loved ones who disappeared on a failed human smuggling operation into the United States in March of 2012.

Nayif Gumus, the uncle and cousin of the two Turkish men, Veysi Oral and Huseyin Oskan, said his family will pay the money to whoever is able to assist them in having their family members returned to them safely.

Visiting the Bahamas last week to speak with police in New Providence and Grand Bahama, Mr Gumus told The Tribune yesterday that he is not confident that all efforts are being made to have the men, whom he and his family believe are intimately involved in his relative’s disappearance, arrested and brought before the courts.

“Why can’t the police arrest these men? We have given them all the documents, phone records, etc, and still nothing. This is very frustrating. We don’t know where else to turn. We just want them back,” he said.

In January of this year, Prime Minister Perry Christie pledged his government’s support in doing “whatever action we can” to see that some kind of clarity and resolution is brought to the matter. Previously, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell, had also ordered an investigation into the disappearances. This came after officials at the Turkish Embassy in Cuba repressed their “surprise” at the lack of communication from the Bahamas Government on the matter.

Veysi Oral, and Huseyin Oskan, were both working illegally in Grand Bahama before they attempted to be smuggled into the United States. Reportedly they had been encouraged by a local businessman in Grand Bahama who told the pair that they would be making “more money” if they were in the US.

Promising them safe passage into Miami for $6,000, the men each paid the fee and were bundled into a go-fast boat with 10 Dominicans, and seven Jamaicans on March 9, 2012. None of these men has been seen or heard from since.

Mr Gumus told The Tribune he hopes the offer of a reward would entice someone to come forward and assist his family, who he says continues to cry out for help, some 19 months later.