A suspect arrested in the US and questioned by the FBI has reportedly implicated the son of former Tunceli governor Tuncay Sonel in the disappearance of 21-year-old Gülistan Doku, who vanished in January 2020. The detainee said he was in the car when the son shot Doku and helped place her body in the boot. More than 30 people are now reportedly in custody as investigators probe alleged evidence tampering by police and medical staff. Women's groups and the victim's family have long demanded a full, transparent investigation.
Suspect Arrested In US Implicates Ex-Governor's Son in Disappearance of Turkish Student
FILE PHOTO - A police officer on duty in Istabul's Sultanahmet district. (is associated with: «Report: Ex-governor's son implicated in Turkish student's killing») Matthew Aslett/dpa
A recent statement by a suspect in the six-year-old disappearance of 21-year-old student Gülistan Doku has renewed allegations against the son of a former provincial governor in Turkey.
Arrest and Statement
According to reports from the opposition-aligned Anka news agency, the man — who had been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice — was arrested in the United States and interviewed by the FBI. In his statement, he reportedly said he was in a car with the governor's son when Doku was shot and that he later helped place her body in the boot of the vehicle. These claims are part of an ongoing investigation and remain subject to verification by Turkish authorities.
Allegations Against the Governor's Son
The son of Tuncay Sonel, who served as governor of eastern Tunceli province from 2017 to 2020, has been named in media accounts as a suspect. State-run Anadolu news agency has reported that Sonel is suspected of obstructing the investigation, including destroying, concealing or altering evidence. Anadolu also reported that the governor's son had previously been arrested on suspicion of intentional homicide.
Scope of the Investigation
Authorities say more than 30 people have been detained in connection with Doku's disappearance. Arrests reported in recent days include a police diver, a former police officer alleged to have deleted data from the student's phone, and a doctor accused of erasing hospital records. Doku's then-boyfriend is also reportedly under investigation. Officials have not publicly confirmed all individual allegations, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
Context and Reactions
Doku vanished in January 2020; Turkish authorities later presumed she had been murdered. For years, women's organizations and Doku's family have pressed for a full and transparent investigation into her disappearance. The case has drawn national attention in Turkey because of concerns about possible obstruction by officials and the wider implications for accountability in law enforcement.
Note on the Red Notice: An Interpol Red Notice allows member countries to request that a person be located and provisionally arrested pending extradition; it is not the same as an international arrest warrant.
The situation remains fluid. Turkish prosecutors and police have not released a complete public account of all investigative steps, and media reports continue to cite unnamed sources and agencies. Readers should consider that allegations reported in the press are subject to confirmation through formal legal processes.
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