16.05.2026 18:21
Regarding the investigation into Gülistan Doku, who has been missing in Tunceli since January 5, 2020, and years later was found to have been murdered, the Doku family's lawyer Ali Çimen stated that there are PTS records showing that Çağdaş Özdemir, the former chief physician of Tunceli State Hospital, passed by the last place Gülistan was seen with his vehicle. Çimen said, "Çağdaş Özdemir is now becoming responsible not only for the cover-up but also for the homicide that occurred against Gülistan."
Ebru Cansu, one of Turkey's 3 female chief prosecutors appointed to Tunceli with the June 2024 decree of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), took the Gülistan Doku file off the shelf and began examining it after starting her duty. Upon the instruction of Chief Prosecutor Ebru Cansu, who re-handled the investigation from the beginning, a special team was formed consisting of personnel from the Gendarmerie Crime Investigation Teams (JASAT), known as 'Gendarmerie Detectives'. All KGYS footage and PTS records from the city for the day before and the day Gülistan Doku disappeared were collected.
NEW FOOTAGE EMERGED New footage of Gülistan was also included in the file, along with a total of 70 KGYS, 67 of which are main arteries, and an additional 700 hours of footage from security cameras. The footage, which also revealed where Gülistan came from to the café she visited to meet her boyfriend Zeinal Abarakov before disappearing, and when she left the café to go to her teacher, was watched second by second by the chief prosecutor's office and the special team, and Gülistan's fate was investigated.
MISSING PERSON CASE TURNED INTO MURDER INVESTIGATION Additionally, some suspects were added to the file, and HTS and PTS studies were conducted. After the studies were completed, an operation was launched. In the file that turned from a missing person case to a murder investigation, operations were carried out on April 14, 17, and 24 on suspicion of murder. 17 suspects were taken into custody. For Umut Altaş, a suspect in the file who is in the USA, a red notice was issued.
FORMER GOVERNOR'S SON ARRESTED Among the suspects referred to the courthouse after their procedures at the gendarmerie, Mustafa Türkay Sonel, son of former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel, and Erdoğan Elaldı, who was determined to have had the last contact with Gülistan Doku through narrowed cell tower analysis and was a former employee of the Special Provincial Administration at the time, were arrested for 'Intentional killing'. Gülistan Doku's ex-boyfriend Zeinal Abarakov, Abarakov's father Engin Yücer and mother Cemile Yücer, fugitive suspect Umut Altaş's father Celal Altaş and mother Nurşen Arıkan, dismissed police officer Gökhan Ertok, and Şükrü Eroğlu, who was Tuncay Sonel's close bodyguard at the time, were arrested for 'Concealing and destroying evidence of a crime'. Ferhat Güven was arrested and sent to prison for 'Robbery' due to his act against Gülistan Doku's sister Aygül Doku.
FORMER GOVERNOR ALSO IN PRISON Çağdaş Özdemir, the former chief physician of Tunceli State Hospital, who was taken into custody in Bursa on allegations of deleting Gülistan Doku's hospital records and brought to Tunceli Courthouse, was also arrested for crimes of 'Altering, destroying, or concealing an official document'. Tuncay Sonel was arrested for 'Destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime', 'Hindering, altering, destroying, or altering data in the information system, unlawfully giving or obtaining personal data', and 'Altering, destroying, or concealing an official document'. Suspects U.A., S.G. responsible for cameras at Munzur University, and S.Ö. were released under judicial control. Tunceli State Hospital IT staff Burçin Y. and Yücel E., taken into custody on charges of 'Destroying and concealing evidence' related to the alleged deletion of hospital records, were released under judicial control.
7 DETAINEES TRANSFERRED FROM ELAZIĞ TO ERZURUM Within the scope of the investigation, Mustafa Türkay Sonel, Şükrü Eroğlu, Gökhan Ertok, Zeinal Abakarov, Engin Yücer, Cemile Yücer, and Erdoğan Elaldı, who were detained in Elazığ Closed Penitentiary Institution, were transferred to Erzurum H-Type High Security Closed Prison. It was noted that the transfer decision was related to the investigation conducted by the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
GÜLİSTAN'S LIFELESS BODY STILL BEING SEARCHED To find Gülistan Doku's lifeless body, upon the request of the Ministry of Justice and the instruction of the Ministry of Interior, Gendarmerie Search and Rescue (JAK) teams affiliated with the Gendarmerie General Command were dispatched to Tunceli with state-of-the-art devices. A special team of 30 people, consisting of JAK teams and JASAT units under the Tunceli Provincial Gendarmerie Command, continues their work under the coordination and participation of Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor Ebru Cansu. The teams are scanning designated areas with underground imaging devices, acting on narrowed cell tower data and suspicious points. Through the infrared signals sent by the devices, a three-dimensional image of the underground is obtained, and suspicious areas are examined in detail.
“A MORE EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATION HAS BEGUN IN THE FILE” Sharing the latest status regarding the file, Ali Çimen, lawyer of the Doku family, said, "The Gülistan Doku file started on January 6, 2020, upon the family's complaint. In the first 4 years of this investigation, as you know, an active and effective investigation could not be conducted in our file due to the cover-up activities carried out by the main suspect Tuncay Sonel. In 2024, with the start of duty of our Chief Prosecutor Ms. Ebru Cansu, an effective and efficient investigation was conducted in the file. Within the scope of the file, measures in the form of 12 detentions were applied. One of these people was the main suspect Tuncay Sonel. Tuncay Sonel's case was also sent to the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to procedural laws. With its referral to the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, there was concern in the public. 'Is this file being closed?' No, that was never the case. With the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also entering the file, a more effective investigation began to be conducted in the file," he said.
“HE PASSED THROUGH THE AREA WHERE GÜLİSTAN WAS LAST SEEN IN HIS VEHICLE” Çimen stated that there are PTS records showing that Çağdaş Özdemir, the former chief physician of Tunceli State Hospital arrested in the investigation, passed through the area where Gülistan was last seen in his vehicle, saying, "A new development occurred within the scope of this investigation. With the determination of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that Çağdaş Özdemir, the currently detained former chief physician of the state hospital, passed through the area where Gülistan was last seen in his vehicle. This determination is important in our file. As you know, Gülistan Doku was subjected to violence because she resisted the sexual assault act against her. After this violence, she wanted to apply to the state hospital and have this violence reported. As you know, the state hospital reported it to the police. There was a POLNET record at the police, and according to Gülistan's statement there, when she made a statement regarding the son of the main suspect Tuncay Sonel, they covered up that statement. The biggest role in this cover-up belonged to this chief physician, Çağdaş Özdemir."