New testimonies in the Doku case: Critical hour questioned

New testimonies have been added to the investigation file concerning university student Gülistan Doku, who went missing in Tunceli on January 5, 2020. Former Tunceli Provincial Gendarmerie Deputy Commander Ali Kahraman and his wife, Burçin Hızlı Kahraman, were questioned about vehicle movements around the Sarısaltuk Bridge—where Doku was last seen—phone records, and their contacts with the then-Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel and his family.

It was stated that the Kahraman couple, who were detained as part of the investigation, were referred to court with a request for their arrest following their processing. In their statements to the prosecutor's office, the couple denied accusations that they had picked up Gülistan Doku in their vehicle or participated in any action related to the incident.

CRITICAL TIME OVERLAP

According to findings in the file, Gülistan Doku was captured on a dashcam on the Sarısaltuk Bridge around 12:25 on January 5, 2020. In the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's assessment, it was noted that the vehicle driven by Ali Kahraman and assigned to his wife, Burçin Hızlı Kahraman, passed the FEDAŞ License Plate Recognition System (PTS) at 12:25:12 and the University PTS at 12:28:58, heading toward Elazığ.

Based on calculations made using the distance between the two PTS points and the recording times, it was estimated that the vehicle passed the Sarısaltuk Bridge at approximately 12:27. During the same time frame, it was determined that a call was made from the line used by Burçin Hızlı Kahraman to the line of Tuncay Sonel's wife, Handan Sonel, at 12:27:51.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office questioned the Kahraman couple about the overlap between the vehicle's passage and the phone call, which occurred within seconds. The assessment reflected in the interrogation transcript stated that this timing and the subsequent phone traffic were "far beyond a coincidence." Burçin Hızlı Kahraman, however, described the timing in question as a "bad coincidence."

Ali Kahraman stated that he, his wife, and their daughters left Tunceli and went to the Pertek Ferry Terminal, and that they did not stop anywhere on the way. Burçin Hızlı Kahraman also maintained that they did not stop on the bridge, did not see Doku, and continued on their way.

Regarding the call made to Handan Sonel, Ali Kahraman claimed that his wife made the call to thank her for hosting them in Tunceli and to inform her that they were leaving the city. When asked about the content of subsequent conversations, he described them as "women's gossip." Burçin Hızlı Kahraman also stated that during the approximately 12-minute conversation, they talked about women they had met at an invitation.

INITIAL INVESTIGATION ALSO UNDER SCRUTINY

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that after Doku's disappearance, the testimonies of over 200 people were taken as "persons with knowledge," but that the testimonies of some vehicle drivers and passengers who appeared in the PTS records on the Dinar Bridge and university route between 12:00 and 13:00 on the day of the incident were not taken. It was noted that the vehicle containing the Kahraman couple was among these.

The file stated that the exclusion of critical vehicles and individuals during the initial phase of the investigation is being evaluated under the suspicion of a "conscious, planned, and organized activity to obscure evidence." Ali Kahraman said that they should have been called to testify during the initial period as well. Burçin Hızlı Kahraman stated that they would have come to testify if they had been called.

Ali Kahraman was also asked about the camera system on the route on the day of the incident. In his initial statement, Kahraman claimed that there were numerous cameras on the Tunceli-Elazığ road up to the Elmalık Gendarmerie Station and that there were no "dead spots." Upon the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office reminding him of the sections around the Sarısaltuk Viaduct where there was no footage, Kahraman corrected his statement, saying he might have been mistaken about that.

The investigation also brought up the fact that one day before the incident, Kahraman sent an Excel image titled "tower information with living areas" to Tuncay Sonel. Kahraman argued that Sonel had said he urgently needed the tower information and that he had forwarded the information received from the relevant personnel.

Ali Kahraman was also questioned about base station records related to former village guard Fatih Özmen, who is mentioned in the file, and assessments regarding the village of Koçpınar. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that a legal opinion had been formed in connection with some suspects within the framework of technical data and witness statements. Kahraman said he knew Özmen due to his duties and that there was no special closeness between them.

The Kahraman couple was also questioned about their phone lines not emitting signals at certain times on the day of the incident. Ali Kahraman said his phone's battery might have died, while Burçin Hızlı Kahraman said they might not have charged their phones at the teacher's house. Both suspects maintained that they did not turn off their phones intentionally.

The defense attorneys for the suspects stated that they did not accept the accusations and requested that their clients be released to be tried without arrest. The judicial process continues in the investigation, for which Ali Kahraman and Burçin Hızlı Kahraman were referred with a request for their arrest.

News Source: 12punto