New development in the Gülistan Doku case: Arrest warrant issued for deputy gendarmerie commander and his wife
A striking development has occurred in the case of Gülistan Doku, who went missing in Tunceli in 2020. As part of the investigation, the then-deputy provincial gendarmerie commander Ali Kahraman and his wife, Burçin Hızlı Kahraman, have been arrested.
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New details regarding the day of the incident have emerged in the investigation into the disappearance of Gülistan Doku on January 5, 2020. According to evidence in the investigation file, the vehicle used by the Kahraman couple passed by the Sarısaltuk Bridge, where Doku is believed to have disappeared, at 12:27 PM on January 5. Records also show that at the same time, Burçin Hızlı Kahraman was on a phone call with Handan Sonel, the wife of the then-Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel.
Following the overlap between the vehicle's passage and the phone call, the prosecutor's office questioned the suspects on the matter. In their statements, Ali Kahraman and his wife, Burçin Hızlı Kahraman, claimed they never saw Gülistan Doku and did not pick her up in their vehicle. The couple maintained they had no involvement in the incident.
MESSAGE TRAFFIC AND SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS IN THE INVESTIGATION
Another notable element in the file involves messages exchanged one day before Gülistan Doku's disappearance. According to the allegations, on January 4, 2020, Ali Kahraman sent an Excel file containing "tower information for living areas" to the then-governor Tuncay Sonel. The prosecutor questioned Kahraman regarding the reason and purpose of this information sharing. Kahraman stated that he did not prepare the information himself and that Sonel urgently needed this data. Kahraman noted that although he was stationed in Gaziantep at the time, he was in Tunceli and had requested the tower data from the relevant gendarmerie personnel.
Kahraman, who was responsible for mixed teams and security guards, was also asked whether Governor Sonel had given him any special instructions regarding the Gülistan Doku file. Kahraman stated that he had not received any such instructions and had not relayed any illegal orders to the guards.
Furthermore, he made the following statement regarding Governor Sonel's influence over the guards: "I believe Tuncay Sonel could establish dominance over the guards and manipulate them. Because he had such a character; he was skilled at persuading, manipulating, and managing perceptions of everyone."
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office conducting the investigation stated that they have formed the opinion that Ali Kahraman picked up Gülistan Doku on the day of the incident in a vehicle allocated to him while passing over the Sarısaltuk Viaduct, and subsequently handed Doku over to other individuals. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office reminded Kahraman that he could benefit from effective remorse provisions if he disclosed what he knew. Kahraman, however, denied all accusations, stating, "I came to Tunceli for a vacation with my family and daughters, and I returned to Gaziantep via the Pertek ferry on the afternoon of January 5. I did not see anyone in that area, I did not pick anyone up in my vehicle, and I did not participate in any organization."