WOMEN PROTEST IN DERSİM

Gülistan Doku missing for 234 days: ‘Who is Zaynal? What connections does he have?’

Women have protested for Gülistan Doku, who has been missing for 234 days: “As if there was concrete evidence proving that she committed suicide, they searched for her only in the water for over 7 months. The former governor of Tunceli stalled us.”

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Gülistan Doku missing for 234 days: ‘Who is Zaynal? What connections does he have?’

* Photo: Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish

University student Gülistan Doku has been missing in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim since January 5, 2020.

Dersim Women's Platform made a statement for Doku at Seyit Rıza Square in the province yesterday (August 24). While several women attended the protest, Tuba Apaydın read out the statement on behalf of the platform. Some highlights from the statement were as follows:

"Gülistan Doku previously said, 'You raise your voice so that violence hushes.' How grave that we are now here for Gülistan, whose fate and whereabouts have been unknown for 233 days.

"As if there was concrete evidence proving that Gülistan committed suicide, they searched for her only in the water for over 7 months. In this process, while the collective memory of the society and women pointed somewhere else, former Governor of Tunceli Tuncay Sonel and some public officials constantly tried to create an impression that Gülistan committed suicide.

'Former governor stalled us'

"Trying to keep us in a constant pressure and check during this process, Tuncay Sonel stalled us by promising that he would take Gülistan from the water and perhaps, by doing this, he manages to prevent this incident from standing in the way of his appointment to the place(s) that he wanted to work. He left Dersim as if nothing had happened.

"The efforts solely focusing on the water all through this process prevented other evidence from being collected. Gülistan has been missing for 233 days and we keep on asking the same questions:

'Why did you turn a blind eye to his moving?'

"While there are so many suspicious incidents, why is there no effective investigation against Zaynal Abakarov? Who is Zaynal Abakarov and what type of connections does he have?

"While the women and her friends questioning the fate and whereabouts of Gülistan are facing pressures such as being detained, having their scholarships cut and being expelled from dorms, why did you turn a blind eye to Zaynal and his family's moving out of Dersim?

'Were appointments coincidental?'

"According to witness statements and phone signals, it is understood that Gülistan Doku was still alive at around 4.30 p.m. on January 5, 2020. Why did you collect no data as to what Abakarov and his family were doing and where they were after 4 p.m. on January 5?

"Is it true that several people who might at least have information about the incident have been appointed to other cities? Is it coincidental?

"If the case of Gülistan Doku was not connected to Abakarov, why isn't it brought to light? Is there anything that we don't know about the incident? Who will answer for the sorrow of a family for 233 days?"

What happened?

University student Gülistan Doku did not return to the Credit and Dormitories (KYK) Women's Dormitory on January 5, 2020. As her roommates could not reach her by phone, they got worried and appealed to the Tunceli Provincial Directorate of Security. Her family was also informed about the issue. The family came to Dersim on January 6 and reported Gülistan Doku missing at the security directorate.

Consulting her friends and tracking the signals of her mobile phone, police officers also examined the city surveillance cameras and found that she got on the university minibus at the bus stop in Atatürk Neighborhood at 11.29. However, even though the city surveillance cameras along the way were examined, it could not be determined where she got off.

The driver of the minibus was identified and summoned to depose. The driver said that the minibus did not enter the university as it was Sunday, the minibus returned empty and he could not remember where Gülistan Doku got off.

It is speculated that Doku got off at Sarı Saltuk Bridge in the city center, the only bus stop outside the sight of surveillance cameras.

Thanks to the struggle of women and the Doku family, the authorities decided to drain the water of the dam to find her.

On June 17, a petition was submitted to the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to arrest Zeınal Abarakov, the chief suspect of the file.

On August 29, the expert report was completed. Afterwards, Ali Çimen, the attorney of the Doku family, made another application for the arrest of Abaravakov. Rejecting this request, the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided to take his deposition.

On August 4, the expert review of the footage that allegedly shows Gülistan Doku jumping off a bridge was completed.

According to the review by the National Criminal Bureau firm, what is seen in the footage is not Doku jumping off the Dinar Bridge, where she was last seen, but "residual pixels."

"The effect on the bridge abutment is a pixel residue and definitely not a water column created by a person or object that falls into the water," the report concluded.

In a statement released by the Tunceli Governor's Office on August 18, 2020, it was announced that the search efforts ongoing in the dam ended.

(RT/SD)