Gülistan Doku Missing for 101 Days: She was the Apple of Our Eye, She Had Dreams

* Photos: Twitter, Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

"She was the youngest child of our home, she was the apple of our eye. She has ideals, she has dreams about the future. My sister was full of life, she was not a person who could commit suicide.

"She was successful, she liked the department where she was studying, she used to like children. Because she was a child herself..."

The above words are uttered by Aygül Doku, the elder sister of Gülistan Doku, who has been missing for 101 days as of today (April 14).

Aygül Doku was informed that her sister got missing on January 5, 2020. When she arrived in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim the next day, she was told that her sister might have committed suicide. She was told, "Gülistan jumped off to Munzur River." She did not believe it. But, still, she waited for her sister to be taken out of Munzur River.

Aygül Doku goes to Munzur everyday, with the same questions on her mind: "Is it possible that she is still alive? Is she in trouble? Did she really commit suicide?..." For the last three months, she has been going to Munzur River, but Gülistan Doku has not yet been found.

Aygül Doku: They tried to create a perception

On April 7, the deceased body of Esma Kılıçarslan was found half a kilometer away from the point where Gülistan allegedly committed suicide. After that day, Doku Family is even more sure about one thing: "Gülistan did not commit suicide, she was disappeared by force."

Aygül Doku is enraged. "They attempted to create a perception of suicide," she says and continues as follows:

"My sister would share everything about herself with us, she would not hide anything. But, she never talked about this man named Zeınal (Abarakov). We don't know why she didn't say anything about him. She didn't even tell our cousins of her age with whom she was very close.

"We are not oppressive. Gülistan did not grow up under pressure. I don't know why she didn't tell us: Maybe the man didn't want it, maybe she was not sure... I don't know. They had been friends for 7-8 months, he was constantly exerting pressure on her, telling her 'Don't go there, don't speak to this, don't wear that...' Gülistan told all of these to her friends. It was because this pressure and quarrel that they broke up.

'Would a suicidal person buy cosmetics?'

"I spoke to Gülistan on Friday for the last time. I asked 'How is it going?' She said, 'I have exams, sis. I am studying.' She sounded good, it was not like she had a problem. I am her elder sister, wouldn't I understand if she was depressed? Especially if she felt so bad to committ suicide...

"A person understands it even from the voice of her friend that she doesn't feel well, right? But, no, she wasn't like that. She bought books for the Public Personnel Selection Exam one week before. They did shopping, she has unpacked cosmetics in her closet. If a person will commit suicide, does she go shopping and buy cosmetics?

"Whatever happened, it happened on Saturday. Gülistan had plans even on Saturday. She would go to give lessons. She talked to her friend and told her that she would go to her place in the evening.

'Family's statements are contradictory'

"However, then, this Zeınal calls her. They meet at the house of his family. His mother, step father... They all make contradictory statements. Gülistan leaves the house that day. Leaving the house after her, Zeınal catches her on the way. He tries to force her into the car, she screams. Then, the police come. Gülistan leaves and goes to the house of a professor of hers.

"In her deposition, the professor says that when Gülistan came to her place, the blood drained from her face and she was very afraid. She tells her that she had a row with him, he wanted to bring her home, but she did not accept and then the police came.

'He was not even detained'

"Gülistan sends a message at night and says 'I am afraid.' He is asked 'Why did she send a message like that?' Zeınal says, 'I don't know.' But, despite all these, he was released after his deposition was taken. The next day, he calls Gülistan again and comes to the cafe where she works. They have a talk in front of the door. He shouts at Gülistan.

"Then, Gülistan leaves the cafe and gets on a minibus. The last signal from her phone is received from the bridge. Based on all these, it was said that 'she committed suicide.' A perception was created, but there are evidence and witnesses apart from this. He shouts at Gülistan before everyone. Even the police come one day before, but he is not even held in detention.

* Photo: AA

'We will appeal to everywhere, including ECtHR'

"After Esma, we are now even more sure that my sister did not commit suicide. Esma was found 15 days after going missing at a spot very close to the bridge where Gülistan was seen for the last time. But, Gülistan is not there. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) experts also say the same thing. They say, 'There is no current in the water, if she had jumped in water, we would found her till now.'

"We will never give up until we find Gülistan. This file will not be closed. If needs be, we will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), but we will find out what happened to Gülistan."

Attorney Çimen: Zeınal Abarakov must be arrested

Starting to represent Doku Family a month ago, attorney Çimen emphasizes that Gülistan could not have committed suicide and adds:

"The investigation was conducted based on the assumption of suicide and the only evidence for this is that her phone signal was cut on the bridge at 12.21. However, she was caught in the camera of a vehicle two hours after that. Similarly, two university workers say that while they were on their way in a vehicle at around 4.40 p.m., they saw Gülistan walking towards city center.

'They were not lip-read'

"Dersim is a city with security on the highest level, there is a security camera in every neighborhood, on every street. But, somehow, it cannot be seen where Zeınal was around the hours when Gülistan got missing. The three hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. are very critical hours, no one know where Zeınal was between these hours.

* Photo: AA

"He himself cannot prove it, either. He says that he was at gym, but the owner of the gym says that he came at around 3 p.m. and left after half an hour. There is a serious quarrel in front of the cafe. It is understood that he treated her very harshly. They were not lip-read, we have requested it. At around 5 p.m., a friend of hers asked Zeınal about Gülistan. He says, 'She deserved it. What I have been through because of her...'

'It will come to light, sooner or later'

"Again, on Saturday night, a citizen sees him while he grabs Gülistan in the arm in the middle of the street and forces her into his car. He calls the police. In his deposition, he says, 'I cannot forget the fearful look in her eyes.'

"Moreover, it might be your ex-girlfriend; but, she got missing and no matter what you went through, you would wonder what happened to her. It is against the natural flow of life.

"This person is a natural suspect and he must have been arrested until the file was completed and all suspicions about him were eliminated.

"But, it was not done. What should have been done 90 days ago starts to be done today. We requested that the investigation be conducted not based on assumption of suicide, but of enforced disappearance and murder. Our requests have been accepted. The knot will be untied somewhere and the person or persons who harmed Gülistan will come to light, sooner or later." (RT/SD)