30.04.2026 17:12
During the Gülistan Doku investigation, DNA samples were taken from the Doku family, and Gülistan's sister, Aygül Doku, spoke. Doku said, 'They already killed our daughter brutally, and over six years, they inflicted on us a cruelty that not even an animal would inflict on its prey in nature. Our only wish is for our daughter's body to be found as soon as possible.'
In the investigation concerning Gülistan Doku, a second-year student in the Department of Child Development at Munzur University who has been missing in Tunceli since January 5, 2020, upon the request of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a letter was sent to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requesting the collection of DNA samples from Gülistan Doku's mother and father. Following the request, the DNA of Gülistan Doku's mother and father, who came to Diyarbakır from the Ergani district, was obtained from the Forensic Medicine Institute. It was learned that the samples taken would be compared with the traces found in the vehicle of Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of the then Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel.
The family's lawyer, Ali Çimen, provided information about the process, stating: "In the preparatory file of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the main suspect Tuncay Sonel was being tried for personal crimes he committed. The basis of his trial consisted of actions aimed at covering up crimes committed during his duty. As of today, comprehensive and varied DNA samples have been taken from mother Bedriye Doku and father Halit Doku through the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. DNA analysis will be conducted in the file as a joint effort of the Ankara Police Department and the Diyarbakır Police Department. The significance of this for our file is as follows; as you know, our requests have always been in that direction.
"INVESTIGATED REGARDING TUNCAY SONEL"
It is that an investigation should also be conducted regarding the main suspect Tuncay Sonel's act of killing a person. With this process, we see that evidence is now being collected regarding him, related to the killing of a person. This is being done by the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. This should be known. This DNA was taken as part of the criminal investigation of Tuncay Sonel, and there is a variety, a development here. Of course, due to the confidentiality of the file, it would not be right for us to disclose that. After the procedures are completed, however, a very serious progress has been made.
For that reason, this was needed. As I said regarding our file, we see that investigative procedures are now being carried out concerning Tuncay Sonel and regarding the killing of a person. From the mother, as far as we have heard, samples of hair, tissue, blood, and nails were taken. It was a very comprehensive investigation. A very comprehensive letter was prepared. We see that a very meticulous investigation is being conducted. We are now awaiting the results of the investigation."
"WHERE DID TUNCAY SONEL GET THIS WEALTH?"
Gülistan Doku's sister, Aygül Doku, made the following statements: "At this stage, today DNA samples were taken from my mother and father. Very serious work is ongoing. They already killed our girl in a very brutal way; in six years, they did us an evil that an animal would not do to its own prey in nature. Our only wish is for our girl's body to be found as soon as possible. For my mother and father to read a Fatiha at that tombstone while they are alive; for six years, my parents' only wish, our family's only wish, is this. Consider that the then governor Tuncay Sonel was the person who should have protected our girl, who should have returned our child to us. Our girl was brutally killed by his son Mustafa Türkay Sonel, as per the secret witness statement in February. That was not enough. He also took us and all state institutions to the bridge and victimized us on the bridge for more than 220 days. Not only that. Where Tuncay Sonel got this wealth; I do not know.
"THIS SATAN'S ASSETS MUST BE SEIZED"
Especially, this is our call to our ministers. This satan's assets must be seized immediately. Millions of lira have been spent. Where did he get this money to erase all the evidence of our girl? Therefore, to prevent further destruction of evidence, to prevent further buying of people, buying of people's consciences, seizing his assets is essential; our esteemed prosecutors and ministers know this issue better than us and are following it. Our only wish is to reach our girl's body as soon as possible.
Our wish is; look, these murderers are not one, not two, not three - there are many people involved in this, from those who erased hospital records to those who erased SIM cards. Tuncay Sonel has a crime network. We want this crime network to be held accountable before justice so that no young girl, no child living in our country is ever treated so brutally and audaciously again."
"EVEN IF WE GIVE UP ON THIS CASE, TURKEY WILL NOT GIVE UP"
Aygül Doku said, "We have had very difficult years, we are going through them. In the mornings, we couldn't bear to wake Gülistan up. It is a huge evil. But we are hopeful; we hope to reach at least a strand of our girl's hair. Until our Gülistan's body is found and before these murderers, these criminals, these cover-up artists, these rapists are brought to justice, even if we give up on this case, Turkey will not give up. Tuncay Sonel calculated everything diabolically, but he is still trying to continue his devilry. He says, 'Upon the family's request, I continued the water studies.' It can be refuted very simply. When looking at our old news, looking at the bridge, we were a family that said from the very first day that our girl did not commit suicide. Now, wouldn't you know your child? We said our girl called us, she was coming home. Gülistan couldn't bear to dye her hair. We were saying, 'How could she take her own life?' As we kept saying, 'Our girl did not commit suicide,' Tuncay Sonel kept taking us to that bridge. And our diver brothers, whose efforts are immense. Thank you for their efforts again. They were working. In the end, they were doing their jobs. They are the workers who insisted, 'Go, your girl is not here.' Our diver brothers can also be heard as witnesses. They finally told our diver brothers, 'Do not inform the family. Gülistan is not here.' Despite that, they came and informed us. They couldn't bear it. He was saying, 'This is fooling you.' That Tuncay Sonel's claim is entirely false can be refuted even with one of our past news reports," she said.