21.07.2026 12:11
The testimony of Gülistan Doku's university friend Gülşen İlbaş, who was heard as a witness in the investigation, increased the suspicion that the young woman might have been pregnant before her disappearance. İlbaş stated that Doku experienced severe nausea, vomiting sensation, abdominal pain, and dizziness in December 2019, was disturbed by food smells, lost her appetite, and wanted to be hospitalized. She noted that Doku appeared sad, desperate, pale, and significantly emaciated in the weeks before her disappearance.
A striking witness statement has emerged in the investigation into university student Gülistan Doku, who went missing in Tunceli on January 5, 2020, and was never heard from again. During the investigation conducted by the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Gülistan Doku's classmate Gülşen İlbaş, who was heard as a witness via SEGBIS, detailed the health problems Doku experienced in the weeks before her disappearance.
THAT QUESTION HAS COME BACK TO THE AGENDA
İlbaş's statements have brought back to the agenda questions about whether the young woman was pregnant before she disappeared, why she went to the hospital, and what procedures were performed in her medical records. Symptoms described by the witness, such as nausea, a feeling of vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, loss of appetite, and sensitivity to smells, have strengthened suspicions that the possibility of pregnancy should also be investigated in the case file.
SHE ASKED TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
Gülistan Doku's classmate Gülşen İlbaş recounted that in December 2019, Doku became very seriously ill one day. Stating that Doku had difficulty standing, İlbaş said the young woman asked her to take her to the hospital. Witness İlbaş noted that on the way to the hospital, Gülistan Doku seemed like she was about to vomit constantly and said, "She was very sick and couldn't stand. She had nausea. On the way to the hospital, she kept saying 'I'm going to vomit,' struggling to hold herself together. She also had abdominal pain and dizziness." İlbaş stated that she took Gülistan Doku to the emergency department of Tunceli State Hospital during the daytime.
GÜLİSTAN DOKU WANTED TO BE HOSPITALIZED
According to the witness's account, Gülistan Doku requested to be admitted during her examination at the hospital. However, it was stated that the doctor did not accept this request. İlbaş, who said she was not allowed into the doctor's room, expressed that she did not know the content of the examination or what diagnosis was given to Doku. İlbaş said that after leaving the hospital, she asked her friend about the cause of her illness, but Doku did not give any explanation. This statement has raised questions about what complaints Doku presented to the hospital shortly before her disappearance and what procedures were performed during the examination.
"THE THINGS I EAT SMELL, THEY MAKE ME NAUSEATED"
İlbaş stated that Doku's discomfort continued in the days following the hospital visit, noting that Doku ate very little in the cafeteria and often left her meal unfinished. According to witness İlbaş's account, Doku would say while eating, "The things I eat seem to smell, they make me nauseous." Symptoms described by İlbaş, who said the young woman had lost her appetite and continued to look tired and pale, have emerged as one of the topics requiring investigation into the possibility of pregnancy in the case.
However, the witness also specifically stated that she had no information suggesting Gülistan Doku was pregnant at that time and did not suspect such a possibility.
SHE HAD LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT BEFORE DISAPPEARING
Gülşen İlbaş said that Gülistan Doku had changed significantly both mentally and physically in the weeks before her disappearance. The witness stated that Doku appeared very sad, exhausted, pale, and helpless, and described how the young woman had become seriously thin. İlbaş noted that Gülistan Doku was usually a cheerful, compassionate, and life-loving young person, and said she did not believe in the possibility of suicide. Expressing that Doku was preparing for the KPSS exam and had future goals, İlbaş stated: "Gülistan Doku was a fair, compassionate, cheerful, and very good girl. She had no interest in politics. She would come and go to school. Recently, she was preparing for the KPSS exam. She had bought books for that. She had goals and dreams. She was definitely not a girl who would commit suicide. In her free time outside school, she worked as a waitress in cafes and restaurants. Her family's financial situation was not good. Gülistan Doku had a boyfriend named Zeinal. As far as I know, Zeinal and she met while working together at Hanımeli Cafe."
STRIKING STATEMENT ABOUT DOKU'S EX-BOYFRIEND
Witness Gülşen İlbaş also provided important information about Gülistan Doku's relationship with Zainal Abakarov. İlbaş said that Abakarov generally seemed like a good person, but he was very jealous of Gülistan Doku and restricted her social life. İlbaş stated that even when Doku wanted to go somewhere with friends after her internship, she had to get permission from Abakarov, who often did not allow it. The witness said the couple frequently argued over this and broke up and reconciled multiple times. However, İlbaş noted that the couple had not seen each other for about 15-20 days before Doku's disappearance, so she could not understand why Doku suddenly went to Abakarov's house on January 4, 2020.
WHAT ZEINAL SAID AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE
One of the most striking parts of the witness statement were the words that Zainal Abakarov allegedly said after Gülistan Doku's disappearance. İlbaş recounted that she spoke with Abakarov after the disappearance incident, and the young man used the following words: "Whatever he did, he did it to himself. Everything happened because of him. My mom and dad also fought." İlbaş said that at that time, all attention was focused on finding Gülistan Doku, so it didn't occur to her to ask Abakarov, "What did he do?" or "Why did everything happen because of him?" The witness stated that later everyone began to suspect Abakarov, and she never spoke to him again. What incident or argument these statements refer to remains one of the important unanswered questions in the investigation.
WHY DID SHE GO TO HIS HOUSE AFTER THEY BROKE UP?
Gülşen İlbaş said that Gülistan Doku and Zainal Abakarov had not been in touch since mid-December 2019. The witness, noting that this separation lasted much longer than their previous breakups, said she did not know why Doku went to Abakarov's house the day before she disappeared. İlbaş stated, "I don't know why she suddenly left the cafe and went to her boyfriend's house, whom she hadn't seen for about 15-20 days." Whether Doku made this visit of her own free will, what happened during the meeting, and whether the words Abakarov allegedly said later are related to this visit are being investigated.
SHE SAID SHE WAS UNAWARE OF PREGNANCY TESTS
The witness was also asked about information that Gülistan Doku had taken pregnancy tests several times. İlbaş said she was unaware of these tests and did not suspect at the time that Doku might be pregnant. The witness recounted that she had heard from Gülistan Doku that Doku and Abakarov had gone on a vacation together around July 2019. However, she stated that since she knew the couple had been separated for a long time during the winter period when Doku experienced nausea and other complaints, she did not consider the possibility of pregnancy.Ilbaş said he does not know whether Doku had another relationship during this period, but noted that the young woman had recently become close with Rojvelat Kızmaz.
HOSPITAL RECORDS UNDER SCRUTINY AGAIN
The witness's statement that she took Gülistan Doku to the hospital before she disappeared has made the hospital records in the investigation even more important. It is being examined on which date, with which complaints, and by which doctor Doku was examined; which tests were performed on her, and whether a pregnancy test was conducted.
Previously, within the scope of the investigation, findings were made that some hospital records and system logs belonging to Gülistan Doku had been deleted. The consistency between the hospital admission mentioned in the witness's statement and the existing health data is expected to be compared through expert reports and digital records.
“SHE WAS NOT SOMEONE WHO WOULD COMMIT SUICIDE”
Gülşen İlbaş stated that Gülistan Doku's family was not in a good financial situation, so she worked as a waitress in cafes and restaurants outside of school. Ilbaş noted that Doku was not interested in politics, regularly attended school, and bought books for the KPSS exam, and expressed that she did not believe the young woman had any thoughts that would lead her to end her life.
The witness said that after Doku disappeared, she participated in the search efforts around the Sarısaltuk Viaduct and the dam every day, and followed the work carried out by divers for days.
The investigation is being conducted from multiple angles to clarify the health problems Gülistan Doku experienced before she disappeared, her hospital visit, the possibility of pregnancy, and her last meeting with her ex-boyfriend.