Turkey: the charred body of a murdered Belgian found near a seaside resort

The body of a Belgian has been found in the rubble of a forest fire near the seaside resort of Marmaris, in the province of Muğla in Turkey. The man had been murdered and his body was then set on fire, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws reported Monday morning, citing Turkish media.

The charred body of the Belgian victim was found in a burned forest. However, the autopsy revealed that the man had not perished in the flames, but that he had been asphyxiated. The murder weapon was still around the 32-year-old victim’s neck. The forest fire occurred after the body was burned, according to Turkish police. The Belgian 30-year-old was on vacation in the seaside resort of Marmaris, according to local media.

A suspect known to authorities was intercepted on suspicion of being linked to the homicide and the start of the forest fire. Due to lack of evidence, the Turkish police have however released this individual and are therefore continuing their investigation. The Belgian Foreign Ministry did not comment on the facts reported in the press. “We are awaiting confirmation of rumors that have gone viral in the Turkish media“, says the federal public service.

Turkish emergency services were mobilized Friday noon by the forest fire in the tourist province of Muğla, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. No less than 400 rescuers were hard at work, supported by eight helicopters and five water bombers. Five hectares of forest went up in smoke there.