Turkish authorities detained 15 additional suspects Tuesday as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of university student Gülistan Doku, who has been missing since January 2020.
The suspects were apprehended during simultaneous operations across Elazığ, Malatya and Tunceli in eastern Türkiye, Ankara and Istanbul, under the coordination of the chief public prosecutor's offices in Tunceli and Erzurum.
Those detained include Handan Sonel, the wife of former Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel, the owner of an information technology company suspected of tampering with Doku's mobile phone, three doctors, a nurse, an information technology specialist, five hospital data entry personnel, a businessperson and two village guards, and the judicial procedures for the suspects are ongoing.
In a statement, the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said investigators continue to examine witness testimonies, cyber and digital evidence, financial records and field findings.
Prosecutors said the investigation uncovered significant evidence suggesting Doku sought treatment at Tunceli State Hospital over concerns she may have been pregnant and that her medical records were deliberately deleted in an attempt to conceal evidence.
