Anatol Kotau, former secretary general of the Belarusian Olympic Committee and founding member of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), went missing after arriving in Istanbul on August 21. His wife filed a missing-persons report electronically on August 25, but Turkish police said they had no record and require in-person filings. Phone messages indicate Kotau landed at Istanbul Airport and last contacted his wife at 9:28 p.m. Polish time without providing a hotel address. Colleagues reported no signs of depression or crisis. Turkish news agency IHA, citing no sources, claimed he flew to Trabzon and left Turkey via the sea border, and fears of abduction persist.
His missing persons report, which has been seen by DW, details phone messages between him and his wife on the day of his disappearance on August 21. At 12.26 p.m. Polish time, Kotau writes that he has landed at Istanbul Airport. His wife then asks him where he is staying. Just under two hours later, he replies: "I'll send it when I know." His last contact is said to be at 9.28 p.m. Polish time; a hotel address was never sent.
Such reports must be submitted in person, the police said. While Kotau's wife and colleagues fear he was abducted, a report by Turkish news agency IHA has added further mystery to his disappearance. Without citing any sources, the report claimed that Kotau flew to Trabzon, on Turkey's Black Sea coast, on the same day he arrived in Istanbul, before leaving the country via the sea border.
Collection
[
|
...
]