Testimony of arrested Handan Sonel revealed

The testimony given to the gendarmerie by Handan Sonel, wife of the then-Governor Tuncay Sonel, who was arrested as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Gülistan Doku, a second-year Child Development student at Munzur University who has been missing in Tunceli since January 5, 2020, has been revealed.

Sonel was asked about the statement of Selvi Y., who worked in the kitchen of the Tunceli Governor's residence and gave a statement as a person with knowledge to the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on June 29. Selvi Y. had stated: "On 05.01.2020, while I was cooking in the kitchen, Handan Sonel came to the kitchen, I believe around 13:00-13:30, and said in a panic, 'Ms. Selvi, leave immediately.' I said, 'I have food on the stove.' However, she told me, 'Leave it, get out immediately, leave quickly, go to your home.' When she told me to leave, I didn't ask anything else, but she was in a state of great panic. Nothing like this had ever happened before."

Reminded that the signal information for the last phone used by Gülistan Doku was cut off at 13:22, Handan Sonel was asked, "Why did you send the kitchen worker away from the residence in a panic between 13:00 and 13:30 on January 5, 2020? What was the reason for your panic?" In her testimony, Sonel said, "I am in shock right now. This statement is not hers; it was taken under duress. She wouldn't say that; she knows and likes us. I used to cook most of the meals, and she would cook some in between. I would send the staff home when their work was finished. Ms. Selvi wouldn't leave because she would receive a daily allowance, and she never left early.

Ms. Gönül would leave, but Ms. Selvi would never leave because her money would be cut. Such a thing never, ever happened. But I may have said, 'Whoever is finished with their work should leave.' I am as sure as my own name that such an incident did not happen; she was threatened. She wouldn't say that about us. She called my husband 'Governor father.' She called me mother. Also, I don't even remember January 5; how did she remember? She is 10 years older than me. I can't even remember January 5 of this year," she said.

"I understood the reason for him not eating anything and not leaving his room after the arrests took place"

Recalling the words of Selvi Y., "I continued to go to my job at the residence in the days following January 5, 2020. Although Mustafa Türkay Sonel used to wake up early in the morning, have his breakfast in the living room, and go to school regularly until January 5, 2020, he didn't even eat breakfast for 3-4 days after January 5, 2020. He never left his room. He didn't even go to school. I would prepare his breakfast every morning and bring it to the living room.

The situation after the incident caught my attention. I understood the reason for Mustafa Türkay Sonel not going to school in an unusual way, not eating anything, and not leaving his room in the days after January 5, 2020, only after the arrests took place," Handan Sonel was asked, "Why did your son Mustafa Türkay Sonel not eat breakfast for 3-4 days after January 5, 2020? Why did he never leave his room? Why didn't he go to school? What is his connection to the Gülistan Doku incident that he would be so affected?"

Sonel said in her testimony, "I want to explain this. My son never ate breakfast; he would wake up late. My daughter was the same, they couldn't make it, they would catch breakfast at the last minute. It wasn't dated January 2020, but after the incident he had with the son of Alican Önlü, which I mentioned above, my son was angry with us, asking why we didn't come to school.

We didn't go because we thought we were being deliberately drawn into the school. My son was angry and resentful about this. There was a rift for 3-4 days, saying, 'Why didn't you stand by me? Everyone's family was there.' The incident date Ms. Selvi mentioned is not January 5; this is the incident he experienced at school after the event where 5 soldiers were martyred. They made Ms. Selvi give this statement. I repeat, my son never ate breakfast. Ms. Selvi didn't prepare breakfast even for one day," she said.

"Killed by firing 2 shots"

When asked, "The detained witness Turan G. stated in his declaration that you gave him 100 thousand in cash in exchange for taking the body and disposing of it, that your son killed Gülistan Doku by firing 2 shots, that he is your only son, and that you did not want him to marry that girl. What do you have to say?" Sonel replied, "I haven't even heard the name of the person named Turan G. What witness does he have to show for these allegations? What is his evidence that he did such a thing? I absolutely do not accept this. I don't know this man, and he doesn't know me."

"A pistol and 3 magazines were found in the house"

Handan Sonel was also asked, "With the decision of the Ankara 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace dated 2026/8332, during the search conducted at your residence on 21.07.2026, 1 Sigsauer brand pistol with serial number 47A159091 and 3 magazines belonging to the pistol were detected, and you could not declare the license for the pistol in question to the officers conducting the search, it was determined that it is not among the weapons registered to your suspect husband Tuncay Sonel in the system, and it was also determined that it is not licensed in the gendarmerie weapon information system, EGM weapon license, and gendarmerie weapon license systems when queried by serial number and brand. What do you have to say about this?" Sonel said, "This pistol is brand new, it has not been used. I don't know if it is licensed or not, I don't know if it was a gift or where he got it from. It hasn't even been opened. I don't even know if it's real. He had two pistols; I don't know if they have licenses or not."

News Source: İHA