There has been no news for 75 days about Tekila, a cat who went missing during Turkish Airlines’ (THY) Tunis–Istanbul–Ankara connecting flight. The owner, Esra Uzman, stated that during her journey on 31 August 2025, one of her four cats went missing and demanded a clear explanation and formal investigation from THY.
Cage Delivered Damaged, Other Cat Missing
The couple, who travelled from Tunis and landed at Ankara Esenboğa Airport, received only one of the two cats they were supposed to collect, and its cage was reported to be damaged. The other cat, Tekila, was not found at the delivery point. Since that day, neither Tekila nor her cage has been located.
“Escape Was Impossible, Release the CCTV Footage”
Esra Uzman emphasised that before the flight, Tekila’s cage had been secured with plastic zip ties, making it impossible for the cat to get out on its own. Uzman said: “They told us our cat escaped, but this explanation makes no sense. We want the CCTV footage to be released. If she died, we want to know where her body is; if she is missing, we want to know what happened to her.”
Family Applied to All Official Authorities
Right after the incident, the couple filed a report at the airport and made several written applications to THY. After receiving no response, the family took the matter to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Complaints were also filed with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and through CİMER.
THY: “We Are Sorry, We Offered a Business Class Ticket”
Fifty-three days after the incident, THY sent a written statement to the family. The statement said that Tekila’s cage had been received empty and expressed “regret for the situation”. As an apology, THY offered the family business class tickets; however, the family rejected the offer.
Esra Uzman expressed her reaction by saying, “I don’t want a ticket, I want the truth. Even the cage of my cat is missing. This offer means nothing without a concrete explanation.”
