27.07.2026 10:00
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that simultaneous operations were conducted in 15 provinces under the coordination of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on suspicion of evidence tampering within the scope of the Gülistan Doku investigation. During the operation targeting 19 suspects, searches were carried out at 21 addresses, and 18 suspects were detained.
Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced in a statement on his social media account that simultaneous operations were carried out in 15 provinces by the Erzurum Provincial Gendarmerie Command under the coordination of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office within the scope of the Gülistan Doku investigation.
SUSPICION OF TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE
Gürlek stated that the operation decision was made after suspicions arose that some law enforcement officers had tampered with evidence during the investigation process.
Noting that searches were conducted at 21 addresses in this context, Gürlek reported that actions were taken against 19 suspects and 18 suspects were detained during the operation.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The family of Gülistan Doku (21), who had been unable to reach her since January 5, 2020, traveled from their hometown Diyarbakır to Tunceli and filed a missing person report with the police on January 6, 2020, but the search efforts yielded no results.
Based on new information obtained, 30 suspects were detained within the scope of an investigation led by the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of "intentional murder," "aiding intentional murder," "sexual assault," "concealing or destroying crime evidence," "unlawfully entering an information system to destroy or alter data," "deprivation of liberty," "failure to report a crime," and "harboring a criminal."
Among the suspects, former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel, his son Mustafa Türkay Sonel, former police officer Gökhan Ertok accused of deleting data from Doku's SIM card, former Tunceli State Hospital Chief Physician Çağdaş Özdemir accused of deleting hospital records, former Tunceli Special Provincial Administration employee Erdoğan Elaldı, Celal Altaş, Nurşen Arıkan, Ferhat Hanedan Güven, Doku's boyfriend Zeinal Abakarov, her mother Cemile Yücer, and her stepfather former police officer Engin Yücer, Tuncay Sonel's former bodyguard officer Şükrü Eroğlu, security guard Fatih Özmen, and owner of the IT company deemed to have interfered with Doku's phone Mehmet Aca were arrested. Meanwhile, Uğurcan A., Munzur University security camera responsible Savaş G. and Süleyman Ö., B.Y. and Y.E. accused of deleting hospital records, businessman O.Y., F.K., A.Ş., H.K., E.E., M.Y., T.S., E.Y. were released with a judicial control order including a travel ban abroad, while Y.S., M.P., and Y.A. were released after their statements to the prosecutor's office. With the arrest of Handan Sonel, the number of arrested suspects in the investigation has reached 15 so far.
UMUT ALTAŞ WAS DETAINED
Umut Altaş, who was found to have fled to the USA during the investigation, had a red notice issued against him, and was arrested by US security authorities, holds a critical position in the case due to his close friendship with Mustafa Türkay Sonel. Additionally, he claims that Türkay Sonel confessed the murder to him.
A US lawyer whose name was not disclosed to the public visited Altaş at the ICE detention center and shared a striking detail. This person said, "They are keeping Altaş in a cell. During our meeting, he stated that he wants to be extradited to Turkey. He even said he would meet with the prosecutor in Turkey regarding Gülistan Doku's death and show the location of her body."
WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR?
As is known, the case file was revisited by Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor Ebru Cansu after remaining on the shelf for six years. A special team consisting of Gendarmerie Crime Investigation Teams (JASAT) personnel was established, and footage from the City Security Management System (KGYS) and Automatic License Plate Recognition System (ALPR) records from the day before and the day of Gülistan Doku's disappearance were collected.
Within the scope of the investigation, approximately 700 hours of footage from 70 KGYS and security cameras, 67 of which were on main arteries, were examined. New footage was added to the case file showing Gülistan Doku's arrival at and departure from the café where she went to meet her boyfriend Zeinal Abarakov before her disappearance, as well as her subsequent visit to her teacher. The prosecutor's office and the special team examined the footage frame by frame to investigate Doku's fate.
MISSING PERSON CASE TURNED INTO MURDER INVESTIGATION
As part of the investigation, HTS and ALPR studies were conducted on some suspects. Based on the findings, 17 suspects were detained during operations carried out on April 14, 17, and 24. A red notice was issued for Umut Altaş, who is in the USA and listed as a suspect in the case. Altaş was soon detained and arrested by US security forces. The process regarding Umut Altaş's extradition to Turkey continues.