Sütun 1
Sütun 2
Sütun 3
Medya News
Daily News
Breaking News
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
LIVE BLOG
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Gülistan Doku’s roommate: ‘They want us to believe she committed suicide’

8:53 pm 06/01/2021
A A
Gülistan Doku’s roommate: ‘They want us to believe she committed suicide’
Share post

Eylül Deniz Yaşar – Ankara

This exclusive series of interviews investigates the controversial case of the disappearance of a young Kurdish woman, Gülistan Doku, giving voice to the concerns of close friends, women activists and lawyers in Turkey regarding their year-long struggle to find Gülistan. They do not want a cover-up of what might have actually happened and seek justice.

Gülistan Doku, a young Kurdish woman studying at Munzur University in Dersim, a Kurdish majority province of eastern Turkey, has been ‘disappeared’ since 5 January 2020. Zaynal Abakarov, the adopted son of a Turkish police officer and the ex-boyfriend of Doku, has been addressed as the number one suspect in the disappearance of Doku as she was officially recorded as having visited his home and his workplace on 4 January 2020, on the eve of her disappearance.

Zaynal Abakarov was also reported to have violently forced Gulistan Doku to climb into a vehicle. However, he was released after his initial statements and he and his family moved out from the city in the early days of the investigation. Whilst Abakarov is suspected as having fled abroad, there is no official statement from the Turkish authorities regarding his whereabouts.

The Doku family, women’s organizations and human rights activists following Doku’s case suspect the Turkish authorities and the security officials in charge of the Gülistan Doku investigation of protecting the prime suspect and his stepfather, Engin Yücer, who is a police officer.

The first attempts to find Gülistan Doku – conducted for 227 days in the area of Uzunçayır Dam Lake and Dinar Bridge, where the security cameras filmed the last images of Doku – did not yield any results. Having previously announced that the searches were suspended on 18 August 2020, the Tunceli (Dersim) Governorship launched a search on the same dam lake in October 2020. The final attempt to find Gülistan in Uzunçayır Dam Lake, launched on 15 October, had ended by 23 November 2020.

Gülistan Doku’s mother and sister were detained by the Turkish police in their sit-in protests questioning the nature of the disappearance and the efficiency of the investigations into their beloved Gülistan and many women activists also faced police violence and pressure from state authorities during their democratic protests. The whereabouts of Gülistan Doku remains unknown even a year later and the lead suspect remains free from further questioning.

A close friend and the roommate of Gülistan Doku spoke to MedyaNews about Doku’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend and also about the number one suspect in the case, Zaynal Abakarov. She shared her testimony of Abakarov’s previous “acts of violence” against Gülistan.

Close friend refutes claims of suicide

Kadriye Gengeç – the roommate of Gülistan Doku in her dormitory, one of the last places she had been before she disappeared – spoke regarding suspicions of “suicide” that have been levelled and followed upon as a key possibility by the police. These suspicions had been raised as searches were intensified in the waters of the lake at Uzunçayır dam, since two minibus drivers declared seeing Gülistan there. Gengeç stated that in all her statements and conversations with the police, she and all of Gülistan’s friends refuted the claims of suicide.

“They want us to believe that she committed suicide: there is an insistence on this claim, but we never believe that she committed suicide. Gülistan loved life and she was always cheerful. Some rumours regarding a suicide note spread, but it was a note of jest between us about how messy she was! ‘If something happens to me, tidy up my room, so no one will know how messy I am!’ Some media organs highlighted the claim and suspicion of suicide based on this note, which had no serious intention, but was aimed as a joke to us! We had a good laugh with her after she wrote this”, Gengeç said.

The lead suspect was violent towards Gülistan before her disappearance

Gengeç knew Zaynal Abakarov and had personal interactions with him as Gülistan introduced him to her as her boyfriend. “We have sat together multiple times. At first, Gülistan was happy with him, but later on he began to put strains on her. Gülistan had to inform him about her daily routine. He was restricting her quite a lot. He did not let Gülistan go out with her friends. I actually warned Gülistan about staying away from him”, she said.

Gülistan’s close friend Gengeç recalled Zaynal Abakarov’s approach to Gülistan during their relationship. She stated: “He used violence against Gülistan. He slapped her in the face. Gülistan told me this. When I heard that, I reacted and told her to leave him. Later on, they broke up: they broke up two months before Gülistan vanished”.

Gülistan had dreams of running a kindergarten

In response to the question ‘How was Gülistan’s state of mental health after this break-up?’, Gengeç replied: “She was sad at first: of course, since she loved him but she pulled herself together. She continued with her life. She found a job in a café because she wanted to buy a smart phone for her mother as a gift. She bought books for an exam related to becoming a civil servant. She wanted to be a teacher. She wanted to hold on to life. She had ideals and dreams. Our dream was to open up a kindergarten”.

Gengeç noted that she and her other roommates not only suffered from huge psychological distress after Gülistan’s disappearance but were also subjected to extreme pressures by the police. “We could not sleep in our dorm room: my bed was next to Gülistan’s. We used to chat until the morning hours. I miss her so much. We had memories in the university, in the dorm, in all corners of Dersim. I feel a part of me is missing without Gülistan. We actually blamed ourselves: we felt so bad at not having been able to keep her safe and alive. We want Zaynal Abakarov to be brought to justice: they do nothing to him, but when they brought us to the police station, we were exposed to serious pressures. I was in a room, alone, questioned by five police officers”, she added.


Share post
Tags: Trending

Related Posts

Daily News : 06 November 2024

Daily News : 06 November 2024

November 6, 2024
Daily News : 05 November 2024

Daily News : 05 November 2024

November 5, 2024
Daily News : 03 SEPTEMBER 2024

Daily News : 03 SEPTEMBER 2024

September 3, 2024
Fifty more detainees released under amnesty for internal peace in North and East Syria

Fifty more detainees released under amnesty for internal peace in North and East Syria

September 3, 2024
Uncle of missing child in Turkey arrested as case exposes broader child safety issues

Uncle of missing child in Turkey arrested as case exposes broader child safety issues

September 3, 2024
Turkey’s bid to join BRICS raises questions within NATO

Turkey’s bid to join BRICS raises questions within NATO

September 3, 2024

The news content on our website cannot be quoted without permission, even by citing the source. It cannot be copied or published elsewhere, contrary to the law or without permission.

Follow Medya News

Categories

  • All News
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Women
  • Audio Articles
  • Special Report

Quick Menu

  • Daily News
  • Live Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Breaking News

About

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

[email-subscribers-form id=”1″]

Contact

[contact-form-7 id=”18690″ title=”Contact form 1″]

No Result
View All Result
  • All News
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Long Reads
  • World
  • Journalism
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily News
  • Breaking News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • Authors
  • Podcast
  • LIVE BLOG

© 2020 Medyanews. All Rights Reserved