Schoolgirl who ran away with Turkish waiter ‘thought she was going to die’ on the run

Faye Jones, 16, apologises for what she put her family through

Faye Jones said that she feared for her life (Rex Features)

A 16-year-old schoolgirl says a Turkish waiter she ran away with made her sleep rough without food for two days as they avoided capture by the police.

Faye Jones, 16, was on holiday with her mother Rhonda at a Mediterranean resort in Marmaris when she vanished with local Murat Can Ertani, 22.

Turkish authorities were alerted on Thursday, and found the couple four days later in Mugla, 35 miles away from the resort.

Ms Jones, from Cramlington, Northumberland, said in a filmed interview with the Sun that she feared for her life as they trekked across country, sleeping in fields, and selling her jewellery in order to buy food.

She said yesterday: “I thought I was going to die at one point. I was exhausted, I hadn’t eaten. I don’t want to see him again. It’s over. I’m sorry to my mam for what I put her through.

‘I realise I was being selfish. I wanted to ring her to say I was safe, but I was too ashamed to get in touch. I was hoping to get found. We kissed, we held hands, but it went no further.’

Mr Ertani was taken into custody on suspicion of abduction when the couple were found, but he was later released after Ms Jones said she would not be pressing charges against him.

It is believed that the couple first met a year ago, with the Jones family being regular visitors to Marmaris because Faye’s grandmother, 68, lives and works there.

They stayed in contact over the internet, and ran away together last week when Faye’s mother told her to stop seeing him.

While she was missing, family and friends received support from Northumbria Police, and a Facebook group was set up to publicise the search and appeal for information that might help finding her.

She is now reported to have made up with her distraught mother, and said her relationship with Mr Ertani is over.