Interview. Iain Maciver talks to Jeremy Wiles.

Jeremy Wiles lives in Florida USA. He met Donald in Turkey and climbed Ararat with him in '05.

He is a film maker and is making a feature film about the search for Noah's Ark.

Donald is to feature in this film.

Jeremy is actively involved with us in the search for Donald.

~ LINK TO INTERVIEW ~

Since my last post I have been told (this information came from a local source in Dogubayazit, the town at the foot of Ararat) that the AKUT team consisted of only 6 men, that they did not want to be there, didn't reach the height Donald reached, slept just one night on the mountain and then, went home.

If that is true, then they have done no searching and their chairman has lied to me.

I do know that they didn't reach the height that Donald reached; because his last communication was from 14,700ft, and the chairman of AKUT told me that his people only reached 10,500ft.

But he told me that they climbed the mountain on Monday, began searching on Tuesday and continued until today (Thursday) - three days of searching.

My source tells me that the Turkish government just wanted to put on a "show" of searching, and in reality doesn't care at all and isn't in the least bit interested.

He tells me that AKUT are lying to me.

I certainly believe the Turkish government are not interested - that is what I expected at the start and that is what I expect still.

Throughout our telephone conversation earlier (previous post), Ali Nasuh Mahruki (AKUT chairman) was adamant that he did not want me to share the information he had given me with anyone. I could not persuade him otherwise (and I tried for ages). Until, that is, the moment I told him I was going to do it anyway (because he couldn't give me a good reason why I shouldn't post it on this blog).

I could hardly believe the change.

Suddenly he said: "It's no big deal, I'm not really bothered anyway."

From one extreme to the other.

At the beginning of our conversation he had stated that they had seen "armed men" and "terrorist activity" on the mountain, and for their own safety had to leave, immediately adding that I must not tell anyone. But as soon as he knew that it was going on the blog whether he liked it or not, suddenly he "wasn't bothered" about it, and said, that they did not know if the men were armed, and that they saw only two of them and at night.

Strange.

You may well ask the old question - "So who's lying here?"

AKUT will do no more searching for Donald.

I have a few minutes ago had another conversation with Ali Nasuh Mahruki (Chairman of AKUT, Turkish search and rescue people).

He has informed me that his search team (presumably of 15 people) climbed the mountain on Monday, began searching on Tuesday and did some searching at 10,500ft, but returned home today and will carry out no more searches for Donald.

The reason for their turning back, he told me, is because they observed two men moving on the mountain at night, and believing them to be PKK terrorists, feared for their own safety.

He said that this is why they will be carrying out no more searches for Donald - because they think it would be unsafe due to possible terrorist activity.

When I asked him if the men were armed, he told me that they could not be sure.

Anyway, so much for AKUT.

This is the day the 15-man AKUT team (that is the number the AKUT chairman told me he expected) were due to begin the search. So they should be active now.

Well, we're certainly snowed in all over again today, and so far there is no let-up. I have checked the on line weather forecast for east Turkey in the last few minutes, and it's OK. But I wonder what it'll be like at altitude.

I have just been speaking by telephone to Ali Nasuh Mahruki (Chairman of AKUT, the Turkish mountain rescue people), and he has informed me that they did nothing last week due to adverse weather conditions on the mountain. But that they intend to head for Ararat on Monday and Begin the search on Tuesday now.

OK, we wait some more.

My apologies.

My apologies for having taken so long to update the blog.

I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you that there has been no news for some time, and it is hard to bring yourself to do an update when you have nothing new.

When I last spoke to the chairman of AKUT, he told me that they were waiting for the weather to improve. That was on Monday. Well, this is now Friday and late. I tried to call him earlier tonight, but just got a Turkish answering machine.

Thanks for your patience.