15.04.2026 13:01
The investigation into Gülistan Doku, who has been missing since 2020, is increasingly pointing to murder suspicions after being taken off the shelf six years later. The name coded as a 'high-level public official' in the file was disclosed by Doku's family lawyer, Ali Çimen. Çimen said, 'The perpetrator coded as a high-level public official in the Gülistan Doku file is Tuncay Sonel.'
In the investigation regarding the inability to receive news from Munzur University student Gülistan Doku since January 5, 2020, in Tunceli, 13 people were detained in recent days. The family's lawyer had previously announced in a statement that they would share some evidence with the public regarding the person they coded as a "high-level public official" in the file.
The expected statement came from lawyer Ali Çimen. In a post on his social media account, Çimen stated that the person in question was the then Governor of Tunceli, Tuncay Sonel.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek had also stated in an assessment the day before, "Wherever this leads, those responsible will be uncovered." With the lawyer's statement, the investigation file has once again become a topic of public debate.
WHAT HAPPENED?
21-year-old university student Gülistan Doku was last heard from after leaving her dormitory in Tunceli. The young woman's cell phone last gave a signal at the Sarı Saltuk Viaduct on the Uzunçayır Dam Lake.
13 PEOPLE DETAINED
A simultaneous operation was carried out centered in Tunceli, as well as in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Elazığ, and İzmir.
Detention orders were issued for 13 people in the operation. Among the 13 suspects detained is Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of the then Governor of Tunceli, Tuncay Sonel.
The procedures for the 13 suspects at the police station and the courthouse have been completed.
RED NOTICE FOR THE 14TH SUSPECT
An arrest warrant was issued for suspect Umut Altaş, a close friend of file suspects Mustafa Türkay Sonel and Uğurcan Açıkgöz. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is expected to issue a red notice for Altaş.
It was learned that Umut Altaş has been in the USA since May 2022, has not returned to Turkey since then, and his mother went to the USA for meetings.
In information reflected in the press within the scope of the investigation, it was known that a secret note affecting the course of the investigation was entered into the investigation file on January 27, 2022. It is noteworthy that suspect Umut Altaş went abroad a few months after this note and then never returned to Turkey.
EXCAVATION CONDUCTED IN AREA NEXT TO CEMETERY
Gülistan Doku disappeared on January 5, 2020. Search efforts lasted for days, but no trace could be found.
While many new developments have occurred in the investigation since last night, a remarkable report emerged.
The report prepared by an underground imaging operator under the command of the Provincial Gendarmerie Command stated that, upon the instruction of the Tunceli Republic Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a search was conducted on January 12 next to the cemetery at the entrance of Koçpınar village in Pertek district.
The report stated that a scanning operation lasting approximately two hours was carried out in the region with determined coordinates, and upon the device's warning during the examinations, a suspicious void was detected.
It was recorded that the said void was approximately 1.60-1.70 meters long, 70-80 centimeters wide, and about 80 centimeters deep, resembling a grave image.
The report also included the assessment that a person might have been buried in the detected void and later possibly removed.
While it was stated that this period could be between approximately 1 to 2 years, the report also mentioned that an item like a backpack and a weapon might have been buried with the corpse in the void, and the oxidation formed in the area supports this situation.
MURDER SUSPICION INVESTIGATED
In the investigation conducted by the Tunceli Republic Chief Public Prosecutor's Office; murder suspicion is being evaluated within the framework of new findings.
Additionally, allegations such as organized cover-up, evidence tampering, deletion of digital traces, and use of public influence are also under scrutiny...
Especially vehicle movements, phone signals, deleted social media data related to the day of the incident and afterwards, and the suspicious connections and activities of some public officials have completely changed the course of the investigation.
ANONYMOUS NOTE LEFT FOR THE LAWYER
One of the notable points in the file is the anonymous note left for the family lawyer. This note mentions the name of Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of the then Governor of Tunceli, Tuncay Sonel.
After the note emerged, examinations revealed that Sonel's vehicle movements on the day of the incident were inconsistent with the normal flow.