* News: Anadolu Agency (AA)
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Considered to be the chief suspect of Gülistan Doku's disappearance, Zeynal A. was taken into custody in Antalya's Alanya district.
21-year-old university student Gülistan Doku went missing in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim on January 5, 2020 and her fate and whereabouts has been unknown since then. The Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has been investigating her disappearance.
As part of this investigation, Zeynal A. was detained today (March 17). Taken to the Alanya District Security Directorate, the statement of A. would reportedly be taken by the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office there via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). After giving his statement, A. has been released from detention on probation.
Family, rights groups want legal action
The Doku family and rights advocates have long been demanding legal action against Zeynal A., who had a row with Doku a day before her disappearance and is considered to be the chief suspect. There is criticism of lack of effective investigation because A.'s stepfather is a police officer.
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. Coordinated by the Governor's Office, search efforts started in the dam again on October 15. However, they ended again on November 24, 2020. |
(AÖ/SD)
