27.06.2026 22:30
Umut Altaş, wanted with a red notice in the investigation of university student Gülistan Doku who disappeared in Tunceli in 2020, will attend the hearing on June 30 via remote connection from the USA. Altaş's lawyer stated that his client wants to be extradited to Turkey and will reveal the location of Doku's body.
University student Gülistan Doku, who went missing in Tunceli in 2020, is preparing to appear before a judge via remote connection on Tuesday, June 30, in the US, as part of the investigation into her disappearance, with a red notice issued for fugitive suspect Umut Altaş. An unnamed lawyer who spoke with Altaş said, 'He stated he wants to be extradited to Turkey.'
A new stage is approaching in the investigation regarding Gülistan Doku, a second-year student in the Child Development Department at Munzur University, who went missing on January 5, 2020, in Tunceli. Fugitive suspect Umut Altaş, for whom a red notice was issued via Interpol, is preparing to appear before a judge in the US.
UMUT ALTAŞ BEFORE THE JUDGE ON TUESDAY
After being detained in New York City, Umut Altaş was transferred to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Pennsylvania. His first hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 30, at 9:00 AM local time.
It was reported that Altaş will attend the hearing via remote connection from the ICE detention center where he is held.
'HE SAID HE WANTS TO BE EXTRADITED TO TURKEY'
An unnamed person who visited Umut Altaş at the ICE detention center and practices law in the US provided information about their meeting in an exclusive statement to İhlas News Agency.
Bulut stated that Altaş might agree to be extradited to Turkey during the hearing, saying, 'They are keeping Altaş in a cell. In our conversation, he said he wants to be extradited to Turkey. He even stated that he would speak with the prosecutor in Turkey and show the location of Gülistan Doku's body.'
Umut Altaş, against whom an arrest warrant for extradition to Turkey is issued, is expected to clarify his stance on the extradition process in Tuesday's hearing. The decision from the hearing is considered a potential turning point in the international dimension of the Gülistan Doku investigation.
ALTAŞ WAS ALSO BEING TRIED IN THE US ON DIFFERENT CHARGES
Within the scope of the investigation into the Gülistan Doku case, which Turkey has closely followed for years, 12 of the 15 previously detained suspects were arrested, while 3 were placed under judicial control. A red notice was issued for fugitive Umut Altaş through Interpol. As a result of a joint operation by the US Marshals Service (USMS), Interpol Washington, and the New York office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Altaş was apprehended and detained in the US on May 22.
It was revealed that Altaş was also being tried in the US on different charges. Altaş was detained in the US on December 1, 2025, and was charged with 'resisting arrest,' 'using false identification,' 'intentionally causing physical injury,' 'obstructing government operations,' and 'harassment through physical contact in the second degree.'