Chemical disposal feared in Gülistan Doku case
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek (AA Photo)
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated on Sept. 9 that the body of Gülistan Doku, a university student who disappeared in eastern Türkiye in 2020, may have been destroyed using chemicals, as investigators continue work on the long-running missing-person case.
Speaking to court reporters in Istanbul, Gürlek said prosecutors were working with particular sensitivity on locating Doku’s remains. He also said some statements contained in the case file indicated that Doku’s body may have been moved several times, and at some point may have been dissolved using a chemical substance.
Doku, a 21-year-old university student, disappeared in the eastern province of Tunceli on Jan. 5, 2020. Her disappearance has remained unresolved. The investigation was significantly expanded in 2024 and has since focused on possible homicide and an alleged cover-up, with dozens of suspects detained or jailed and investigators examining possible evidence tampering, deleted digital records and DNA traces from vehicles linked to former officials.
