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Police detained 13 suspects across seven provinces in Türkiye today in an operation related to the disappearance of university student Gulistan Doku. She vanished in Tunceli on Jan. 5, 2020.
Authorities now treat the case as an organized murder investigation after six years of unresolved questions.
The Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor Ebru Cansu ordered the detentions, and suspects face accusations of murder, obscuring evidence, deleting digital traces and abusing public influence.
Chief Prosecutor Ebru Cansu took over the case recently and dismantled the previous suicide narrative.
Investigators are currently reviewing 700 hours of new street camera footage, and they have also obtained a statement from a secret witness.
Authorities noticed suspicious vehicle movements on the night Doku disappeared. Suspects also reportedly exhibited unusual behavior in the immediate aftermath.
Prosecutors identified several high-profile individuals among the detainees:
Authorities also detained Abarakov's mother, Cemile Yucer, alongside several former state workers, including former police officers Sukru Eroglu and Gokhan Ertok, and provincial administration employee Erdogan Elaldi. Police arrested the four remaining suspects, Ugurcan Acikgoz, Suleyman Onal, Celal Altas, and Nursen Arikan, across different provinces.
Abarakov reportedly texted a friend saying police would take his phone long before authorities made any official move.
This text supports the theory that his former police officer stepfather provided insider information.
Lawyer Ali Cimen represents the Doku family.
Cimen believes that a high-ranking public official orchestrated a state cover-up. He said the official created a false perception of suicide to protect his own family members, according to T24.
The family spent 220 days waiting by the Uzuncayir Dam because authorities repeatedly told them Doku jumped into the water.
A National Criminal Bureau report proved seven months into the investigation that no object fell into the water.
Sister Aygul Doku directed her anger at the former governor today outside the courthouse. She stated, "Mustafa Turkay Sonel, the son of the governor of the period, Tuncay Sonel, is the murderer of Gulistan Doku."
Aygul Doku accused Tuncay Sonel of using state resources to protect his son. Mother Bedriye Doku echoed this sentiment.
She recalled the harsh conditions rescue teams endured during the false searches. She asked, "All those people were there in that snow and winter." Is it not a pity and a sin?" She noted that Tuncay Sonel constantly directed them to the dam to waste time.
Women's rights organizations view the Gulistan Doku investigation as a defining symbol of femicide in Türkiye.
Activists protested for six years to demand answers from a state apparatus that seemed more interested in protecting its own officials than finding a missing young woman.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek addressed the new developments on social media.
He promised that the government would investigate the case with determination, no matter where it leads.
He stressed that authorities will not ignore any suspicion or claim regarding this incident that left a deep mark on the public conscience.
The family's lawyer, Cimen, noted that solving this case will finally strengthen belief in the effective investigation of violence against women.
He demanded further action from the state. He stated, "We expect the high-ranking public official to be taken into custody as well."
Former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel broke his silence following his son's detention.
Sonel completely denied the cover-up accusations during a conversation with the Millet News Agency. He stated that his son was merely a high school student in 2020.
"My son does not know Gulistan Doku, nor does he know her boyfriend," Sonel insisted.
He added that he did not know the young woman or the suspects either.
Sonel claimed he actively helped the Doku family during the initial search efforts. He labeled the accusations against him as outright slander. He warned, "I will fight this to the end and use my legal rights."
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