14.04.2026 13:11
Among those detained on suspicion of murder in the investigation regarding Gülistan Doku, who has been missing since 2020, is the son of Tuncay Sonel, the former governor of Tunceli. Regarding the matter, Sonel stated, 'My son does not know Gülistan Doku, nor does he know her boyfriend. My son was a high school student in those years; how could he be involved in this incident? I helped her family. These allegations made against me are completely slander.'
In the investigation of Gülistan Doku, a second-year student in the Child Development Department of Munzur University who has been missing since January 5, 2020, in Tunceli, 13 people were detained in an operation conducted in 7 provinces on suspicion of murder.
EX-BOYFRIEND, MOTHER, AND STEPFATHER ALSO IN CUSTODY
It was learned that among those detained are Gülistan Doku's boyfriend Zeinal Abakarov, her stepfather E.Y. (a former police officer), her mother C.Y., U.A., E.E., and Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of Tuncay Sonel, the former Governor of Tunceli and currently an inspector at the Ministry of Interior.
"MY SON AND I DO NOT KNOW GÜLİSTAN DOKU"
Tuncay Sonel, whose son was detained within the scope of the investigation, made the first statement on the matter. Speaking to Sinan Burhan, President of the Turkish Press Federation and Editor-in-Chief of Millet News Agency, Sonel used the following expressions:
"My son does not know Gülistan Doku, nor does he know her boyfriend. My son was a high school student in those years, how could he be involved in this incident? I don't know her either. I helped her family. The incident needs to be clarified. These allegations directed at me are completely slander. I will fight to the end on this matter and use my legal rights."
NOTABLE DETAILS IN THE INVESTIGATION: ANONYMOUS NOTE LEFT FOR THE LAWYER
On the other hand; details regarding the investigation are also emerging. Questions that have been awaiting answers for years in the Gülistan Doku file were brought back to the agenda with an anonymous note left for the family's lawyer. The explicit mention of Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel, in the note created a critical turning point in the file.
THE FILE EVOLVED FROM A MISSING PERSONS CASE TO A POSSIBLE MURDER
In the painstakingly detailed investigation, the file, initially considered a missing persons case, was taken to a different dimension following the note, with subsequent technical examinations, witness statements, and new evidence. The investigation authorities, instead of focusing solely on the possibility of disappearance, also scrutinized murder suspicions and possible evidence tampering allegations. Particularly, vehicle movements and digital traces related to the day of the incident and afterwards strengthened the suspicions.
THE INVISIBLE CIRCLE FORMED AROUND THE FAMILY
Another notable element in the file was statements indicating that Gülistan Doku's family was placed under close surveillance after the incident. According to some witness accounts, certain public officials were assigned around the family, contacts with the family were controlled, and interventions extending to social media posts occurred.
It was even determined that a SIM card was taken from the family, it was claimed to have been submitted to the prosecutor's office, but this did not proceed as such in the official process. All these developments further magnified the question of why the investigation failed to produce results for years. The public suspicion of "was the file deliberately slowed down?" was seriously considered in light of the new findings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INCIDENT
The family of Gülistan Doku, a girl studying at university in Tunceli, who had not heard from her since January 5, 2020, came from their hometown Diyarbakır to Tunceli and filed a missing persons report with the police on January 6, 2020. Teams that met with the 21-year-old girl's friends and monitored her cell phone signals initiated a search. No results were obtained from the searches.