CYPRUS - Yes, you read that headline correctly.
The body of a missing Turkish man, found to be murdered more than 40 years ago on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, was recently discovered after a seed from a fig in his stomach grew into a tree.
Ahmet Hergune was killed during a conflict between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots in 1974 - an event which claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people. It appears as though Hergune and three of his allies were fleeing the Greeks, seeking refuge in a cave. Greek Cypriots threw a stick of dynamite in the cave - killing the Turkish men and blowing a hole in the side of the cave, letting in sunlight.
While searching for the remains of the 2,000 people missing from the conflict, a researcher became curious when he found a fig tree in the town of Paraklisa, a mountainous area where they don’t usually grow. The researcher then dug up the area - finding three bodies under the tree.
Through blood samples and DNA fragments, scientists determined that Hergune ingested the fig shortly before his death. The tree was able to grow because of the sunlight.
Since 1981, the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus has been searching for people who disappeared on the island between 1963 and 1974. The remains of 890 people have been identified so far.
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