108-person list submitted in Gülistan Doku case amid cover-up allegations

In the ongoing investigation into the 2020 disappearance and presumed murder of university student Gülistan Doku in Tunceli, Turkey, a list of 108 individuals has been presented to prosecutors. Lawyers for the Doku family contend that at least 30 people on this list, including active duty officials from the time, warrant further investigation.

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The period from January 6, 2020, to August 2024 was a systematically executed cover-up operation.

Attorneys describe the period from January 2020 to August 2024 as a "systematic cover-up operation." They allege that evidence was manipulated, attempts were made to frame the case as a suicide, and individuals involved in pursuing the truth were intimidated. The family's persistent struggle, alongside the Dersim Women's Platform, is credited with preventing the case from being closed.

Allegations suggest that the primary suspect at the time, Zaynal Abarakov, was allowed to leave the country by the then-governor, with assurances of non-prosecution from the provincial police chief and provincial public security director. Following the intervention of the Dersim Women's Platform, Abarakov was reportedly brought back to Turkey.

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We submitted a list of 108 people to the prosecutor's office, and at least 30 people on this list should be processed.

Following a change in the chief prosecutor's office in August 2024, a more active investigation commenced. Lawyers had formally requested on January 24, 2024, that the then-Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel be added as a suspect. The first wave of operations occurred on April 14, 2026, resulting in 17 arrests and 12 detentions. Sonel himself was arrested and subsequently detained on April 17. A second wave of operations on July 21 led to the detention of Sonel's wife and individuals described by the lawyers as the "Ankara wing of the cyber gang." Further operations have continued, with five more individuals processed on July 23.

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The primary suspect was allowed to go abroad by the then-governor, and the then-Provincial Police Chief and Provincial Public Security Director allegedly gave him assurances that he would not be investigated.