21.04.2026 22:22
In the Gülistan Doku investigation, former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel was sent to prison by the court on five separate charges. During his statement, Sonel was asked about alleged money transfers to Mehmet Aca, who is claimed to have managed the governorate's social media accounts. Denying the allegations, Sonel said, 'No payment was made, and he had no authority.' Meanwhile, it was revealed that Aca, who is at the center of the allegations, had a street named after him in Tunceli, but the name was removed by a council decision in 2021.
Former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel, who was detained in Elazığ within the scope of the Gülistan Doku investigation and brought to Erzurum on April 17, 2026, was arrested and sent to prison at the courthouse where he was referred after the completion of his 3-day interrogation at the police.
QUESTIONED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF MONEY TRANSFER TO MEHMET ACA During his statement, Sonel, who faces 5 separate charges, was also questioned about alleged money transfers to Mehmet Aca, who is claimed to have managed the governorship's social media accounts.
Sonel stated the following: "I did not send any payment to Aca Bilişim company. I have no knowledge about this. No such payment occurred either at the governorship or at the municipality where I served as trustee. The company owned by Mehmet Aca had no authority in managing the governorship's social media accounts. Similarly, the municipality had no such work either. However, as I mentioned above, because we were trustees, we occasionally consulted Gökhan regarding a few ideas about threats received via social media. At the same time, Gökhan, I did not do anything like follower boosting on social media. I had no such request. The governorship's social media account was managed within the governorship. That is, we carried out the operations within the Press Directorate. We did not pay any fee to any place for this."
NAME GIVEN TO A STREET On the other hand, it was revealed that the name of Mehmet Aca, who is at the center of the allegations, was given to a street in the Atatürk Neighborhood of the central district in Tunceli. It was learned that Mehmet Aca's name was removed from the said street in line with a decision taken unanimously by the Tunceli Municipal Council in September 2021.
Mehmet Aca "IF I TOOK IT, MAY IT BE DAMNED HARAM" After his name was involved in the case, Mehmet Aca, speaking to journalist Rojda Altıntaş, denied the allegations against him, saying, "I am a child of Erzurum. At that time, we provided free promotion for Tunceli Municipality. I did not take even a single penny. I have three children; if I took it, may it be damned haram."