Mustafa Türkay Sonel, the son of the former governor of Dersim (Tunceli) was arrested on Apr 18 as the prime suspect in the murder of university student Gülistan Doku.
The investigation into the 21-year-old student, who disappeared in the eastern province of Dersim on Jan 5, 2020, was recently reclassified from a missing persons case to a homicide inquiry following new findings.
The arrest follows a wave of detentions on Apr 17 that included the former governor. Tuncay Sonel, who served as the governor at the time of the disappearance, remains in custody after his detention period was extended. He is accused of spoliation of evidence.
Zeinal Abakarov, Doku's former boyfriend, and his stepfather Engin Yücer, a former police officer, are among those arrested. Yücer was previously dismissed from his profession after it was revealed he tampered with evidence in 2020. Investigative findings suggest Abakarov had unauthorized access to the case file as early as Feb 2020 through Yücer.
DOKU MISSING FOR 2 YEARS
‘They have stalled us for 2 years, saying that they will find Gülistan’
Video confession emerges
A video confession also entered the file, featuring a conversation between the family lawyer and the brother of another suspect, Umut Altaş.
In the footage, the brother recounts a statement allegedly made by Mustafa Türkay Sonel. "Türkay said the girl got pregnant and I shot her in the head. This 'I shot her in the head' phrase was mentioned several times," he said.
‘GÜLİSTAN DOKU’ STATEMENT BY ERDOĞAN
‘We made every effort, but could not find Gülistan’
Case reopened after years
The case was reopened earlier this month following a witness statement.
The investigation gained momentum after an anonymous note mentioning Mustafa Türkay Sonel was sent to the family lawyer. Analysis of vehicle movements on the night Doku disappeared reportedly showed Sonel's activities were incompatible with the ordinary flow of events.
Technical examinations of phone traffic and bank transfers also expanded the scope of the case. Investigators found that certain public officials had established a circle around the Doku family to monitor their social media posts and contacts. Discrepancies were also found regarding Doku's SIM card, which was allegedly withheld from official records.
Mother and sister of missing Gülistan Doku released from detention
Gülistan Doku was a second-year student at Munzur University when she vanished. Initial search efforts, which included draining the Uzunçayır Dam Lake, failed to locate her body.
Her sister, Aygül Doku, stated in February that the family possessed documents proving the case involved a murder by public officials rather than the initially reported suicide narrative. (VK)
