23.07.2026 09:30
Striking developments are occurring in the Gülistan Doku case, closely followed by Turkey. As part of the investigation, two more people were detained after an examination of former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel's phone, and it was determined that Sonel had a social media user who made posts against him arrested and subjected to torture.
There have been striking new developments in the Gülistan Doku investigation, which Turkey has been closely following. In the investigation conducted by the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, correspondence obtained from examining the phone of former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel has been added to the case file.
PHONE CORRESPONDENCE EXAMINED
In a statement from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was indicated that the correspondence between Tuncay Sonel and dismissed police officer Gökhan Ertok is being evaluated within the scope of crimes including destroying, hiding, or altering evidence, unlawfully obtaining personal data, deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, robbery, and destroying or altering data in an information system.
TWO SUSPECTS DETAINED
As part of the investigation, simultaneous operations were carried out in Ankara targeting two suspects, aside from the detained Tuncay Sonel, Şükrü Eroğlu, and Gökhan Ertok. Detention procedures were initiated for these two individuals during the operation.
ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA USER
It was also reported that findings have been reached indicating that a social media user who made posts against Tuncay Sonel was apprehended and subjected to torture. These allegations are also being evaluated within the scope of the ongoing investigation.
WHO IS TUNCAY SONEL?
Tuncay Sonel is a Turkish bureaucrat born in Adana in 1970. Graduating from Istanbul University's Faculty of Political Sciences, Sonel served as district governor in various districts before serving as the Governor of Tunceli between 2017 and 2020. Appointed as the Governor of Ordu in June 2020, Sonel was assigned as Governor-Chief Civil Inspector with a decree published in August 2023.
Sonel was arrested in April 2026 on charges of "destroying, hiding, or altering evidence" within the scope of the investigation into the disappearance of university student Gülistan Doku in Tunceli on January 5, 2020. His son Mustafa Türkay Sonel was also among those arrested as part of the investigation.
In a new operation conducted two days ago regarding the Gülistan Doku case, 15 suspects, including Tuncay Sonel's wife Handan Sonel, were detained. It was stated that the simultaneous operation carried out in five provinces included doctors, healthcare workers, IT personnel, security guards, and an IT company owner.