Highway Gendarmerie units, conducting routine patrols on the TEM Highway towards Ankara around 22:00, noticed a German-licensed vehicle parked in the far-left lane, which had been cordoned off with cones for road maintenance. Upon approaching the automobile, the teams discovered a 65-year-old woman, identified as E.G., sitting alone inside. The woman explained that they were traveling from Germany to Ankara and requested assistance, stating that her husband had pulled over for a restroom break at a nearby rest stop in the Ankara direction but had not returned for over an hour.
Immediately following the report, additional gendarmerie teams were dispatched to the area. An extensive search operation was launched by the gendarmerie, covering a wide zone that included the rest facility, its surroundings, and the adjacent shrubbery. The search efforts were subsequently reinforced by AFAD and gendarmerie commando units. The entire region was meticulously scanned multiple times using night-vision drones and search-and-rescue dogs. Considering the possibility that the woman might have been mistaken about the direction, the search was also extended to the Istanbul-bound side of the highway. The operation, which expanded into the forested area, continued throughout the night.
At approximately 05:30, Selim Güzel was located in a wooded grove behind the rest stop, an area he appeared to have entered by climbing over a wire fence. Discovered in an exhausted state, Selim Güzel received initial medical attention on-site before being transported by ambulance crews to Hendek State Hospital. Despite the exhaustive efforts of the medical staff, Güzel was taken into treatment but could not be saved and unfortunately passed away.
To shed light on the circumstances of the incident, security camera recordings from the rest facility have been taken under review by the authorities. The precise cause of Selim Güzel’s death is expected to be clarified following the completion of an autopsy.