The Metropolitan Police has renewed its appeal for information about the disappearance of Turkish Cypriot mother-of-two Nazire Koreli, who vanished from her southeast London home two years ago, as independent charity Crimestoppers offers a reward of up to £20,000 to help solve the mystery.
Nazire, 56, was last seen near her home in Welling, in the London Borough of Bexley, in September 2024. Her daughters reported her missing to police on 28 February 2025 after growing increasingly concerned about her whereabouts.
Despite extensive investigations, including searches of her home, examination of hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and specialist underwater searches by police divers in the vicinity of Danson Park, detectives have been unable to establish what happened to her.
The investigation took a more serious turn in March 2025 when detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime Command arrested a man in his 50s on suspicion of murder.
The man was arrested on 10 March and subsequently released on bail pending further enquiries. No charges have been announced, and Nazire's whereabouts remain unknown.
Although initially treated as a missing person investigation, the case has also been investigated as a suspected murder. Detectives say their enquiries remain active.
Daughter's heartbreak over missing mother
In a fresh appeal issued on Wednesday, 7 October, Nazire's family spoke movingly about the anguish of spending two years without knowing what happened to her.
Her eldest daughter described Nazire as a creative woman who loved attending concerts, cooking for her family and teaching her students.
Since her mother's disappearance, she has become a mother herself, making Nazire's absence even more painful.
"Since she has been missing, I feel like half of me is living while the other half is frozen in time," she said.
She described how the uncertainty surrounding her mother's fate has overshadowed even the happiest moments of her life.
"There are so many unknowns, and these unknowns make it even more difficult every day. I need to know where my mum is. I need answers."
Police divers search for Nazire Koreli in nearby Danson Park
Her daughter also spoke of the heartbreak of not knowing whether Nazire would ever meet her granddaughter, and of missing the everyday conversations, shared memories and maternal advice that she once took for granted.
Police urge anyone with information to come forward
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who is leading the investigation, said police remained determined to discover what happened to Nazire.
"Our investigation remains active, and we are committed to pursuing every line of enquiry available to us," he said.
The detective urged people who knew Nazire, particularly those living in the Bexley area, to think back to the period between September 2024 and February 2025.
He stressed that even seemingly insignificant information could prove important in helping investigators establish her movements.
Nazire is described as being approximately 5ft 1in tall, of slim build, with light brown hair, dark eyes and olive skin.
£20,000 Crimestoppers reward available for three months
The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that could help the investigation. The latest reward offer, announced on 7 October, will remain open for three months.
Alexa Loukas, Crimestoppers' Regional Manager for London, said the charity believed someone might possess a crucial piece of information about Nazire's disappearance.
She appealed for anyone with relevant knowledge to contact the charity, emphasising that all information would be treated in complete anonymity.
Members of the public can contact Crimestoppers confidentially on 0800 555 111 or through its website, crimestoppers-uk.org.
Alternatively, information can be given directly to the Metropolitan Police by calling 101, quoting reference CAD 5678 of 28 February 2025.
Information and relevant footage can also be submitted through the police's Operation Cardprince online appeal.
The Missing People charity has also appealed directly to Nazire, should she be alive and able to see the publicity, to contact its free, confidential helpline on 116 000.
For Nazire's daughters and wider family, the hope remains that someone will finally come forward with information that can end two years of heartbreaking uncertainty.
