NEWS CENTER - There has been a very important development in the Gülistan Doku investigation carried out by the Erzurum and Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices. It was revealed that Umut Altaş, for whom there was an arrest warrant, was determined to be in the USA and was requested to be extradited to Turkey, was questioned by the FBI. A comprehensive set of questions prepared by Turkey was sent to the American authorities in order to take Altaş's statement during the legal cooperation process with the US authorities. FBI and US Homeland Security Investigations officers questioned Altaş for two days on August 19 and 20, 2026, at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania.
In the FBI's official letter dated August 26, 2026, it was stated that the FD-302 investigation report documenting the interrogation was prepared in response to Türkiye's request for legal assistance. The file was delivered to the judicial authorities through the General Directorate of Foreign Relations and European Union of the Ministry of Justice through legal assistance channels. In the FBI report, it was recorded that the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was conducting an investigation into the crimes of intentional murder, aggravated sexual assault, deprivation of liberty, and destruction, concealment or alteration of evidence. It was stated that there were 109 questions to be asked to Altaş in the request for legal assistance prepared by the Turkish authorities.
“DO YOU BELIEVE THAT MUSTAFA TÜRKAY SONEL KILLED GÜLİSTAN?”
The most striking part of the FBI interrogation occurred when Umut Altaş was asked about his relationship with Mustafa Türkay Sonel. Altaş first said about Sonel, "He used me." When FBI officers asked how he was used, Altaş suggested that Sonel might have used him to "kill Gülistan Doku and put the blame on her." Thereupon, FBI officers directly asked: "Do you believe that Mustafa Türkay Sonel killed Gülistan Doku?" he asked. Altaş nodded and answered "Yes". “Why do you believe this?” The answer he gave to the question was of a nature that would affect the course of the investigation: He said what he saw.
“GULISTAN WAS IN THE BACK SEAT, HE TAKES OUT THE GUN AND SHOTS IT”
According to what Altaş allegedly told the FBI, the incident took place on January 5, 2020. Altaş claimed that he and Mustafa Türkay Sonel went to the area where Gülistan Doku was located, saw Doku by the bridge, and then Gülistan got into the BMW brand vehicle. According to Altaş's statement, Sonel was in the driver's seat, he was in the front passenger seat, and Gülistan Doku was in the back seat. Altaş said that Gülistan Doku asked them in the vehicle, "Leave me alone, why are you following me?" He claimed that he warned him, and that he started screaming after the argument. Then, Mustafa Türkay claimed that Sonel took a black gun from the glove compartment and shot Gülistan Doku. He also said that the Turkish flag was embroidered on the gun. FBI officers asked Altaş whether he was looking at Gulistan. Altaş said “Yes”. “Was he dead?” "Yes" to the question. he replied.
“WE CARRIED THE BODY TO THE TRUNK”
According to Altaş's explanation, the incident was not limited to this. Altaş claimed that immediately after the shooting, he shouted at Mustafa Türkay Sonel and asked why he killed Gülistan. He claimed that Sonel told him to remain silent and help carry the body to the trunk. Altaş said that he initially refused, but eventually they carried Gülistan Doku's body to the trunk of the BMW together.
"AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE PROTECTION POLICE CALLED ŞÜKRÜ EROĞLU"
Altaş's statement to the FBI also included very important allegations about Şükrü Eroğlu, the bodyguard of Tunceli Governor Tuncay Sonel at the time. Altaş claimed that Mustafa Türkay Sonel called Şükrü Eroğlu on the phone after the body was put in the trunk. He later said that Sonel and Eroğlu talked for about 15-20 minutes and that he was excluded from the conversation. According to Altaş, Mustafa Türkay Sonel told him, "Shut up, don't tell anyone about this." he said. When Altaş said, "This issue will not go away," Sonel said, "My father will handle this issue and eliminate it." he claimed.
*NEXT MORNING: “DON'T WORRY, WE GOT IT TROUBLED”*
According to Altaş's claim, Mustafa Türkay Sonel called him again the next morning. Altaş said that he asked Sonel what was going on and the answer he received was, "Don't worry, we took care of it. Just don't tell anyone anything." He told me that it was. Altaş then asked what happened to Gülistan Doku's body and said to Sonel, "Where did you bury it?" He said this to FBI officers.
PERTEK SIGNED THE WAY FOR THE BODY
One of the most important new allegations in the FBI report is about the possible location of Gülistan Doku's body. According to Altaş's statement, Mustafa Türkay Sonel said that the body was found approximately 15-20 minutes away from the scene towards Pertek. Altaş later corrected this distance to approximately 30 minutes. Explaining that the area was a dirt road and a new road was built at that time, Altaş suggested that the body might have been buried on the side of the newly built road around the Pertek road. However, Altaş also stated that this was not an event he saw himself, but a prediction based on the information he received from Sonel.
BASE RECORDS: THREE NAMES IN THE SAME REGION
During the FBI interrogation, Altaş was also presented with narrowed base records and License Plate Recognition System data obtained by Turkish investigation authorities. According to the findings of the file transferred to the question, on January 5, 2020 at 22.09, Umut Altaş was around Sarısaltuk Viaduct, where Gülistan Doku was last seen. It was stated that Mustafa Türkay Sonel was in the same area between 22.08 and 22.37, and Şükrü Eroğlu was in the same area at 22.08.
According to PTS data, the BMW driven by Mustafa Türkay Sonel left Tunceli towards Elazığ at 22.17.51 with only Sonel in the vehicle. While the same vehicle was returning to Tunceli at 22.30.17, Mustafa Türkay Sonel was seen in the driver's seat and Umut Altaş was seen in the front passenger seat.
FBI ASKED: WHY DID YOU RETURN TO THE BRIDGE IN THE VEHICLE WHERE THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED?
When these records contradicted Umut Altaş's narrative on the first day, FBI agents deepened the interrogation. Altaş eventually stated that after the incident, he and Mustafa Türkay Sonel returned to the bridge area with the same BMW. FBI officers asked, “Why would you go back to the bridge in the vehicle where someone had just been killed?” he asked. According to Altaş's answer, Sonel said, "We will go there to see if there are any cameras." he said.
CLAIM: “CAMERAS WILL NOT RECORD”
During the FBI interrogation, a striking question was also asked about the recordings of the university camera that saw the viaduct where Gülistan Doku was last seen. Altaş claimed that Mustafa Türkay Sonel told him that the cameras would not record when they returned to the bridge. Altaş said that he did not know who or how the camera recordings were deleted.
“YOU KNOW MY POWER, I CAN KILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY”
Altaş also claimed that he was threatened after the murder. According to his statement, Mustafa Türkay Sonel said to him, "You know my power, I can kill you and your family." he said. Altaş also said Sonel: "We are the state as a family, they can't do anything to us." He claimed that he spoke as follows. He also claimed that he was offered money to keep silent, which he did not accept, but Sonel put money in his wallet.
PREGNANCY AND ABORTION ALLEGATIONS IN FBI QUESTION
One of the most sensitive topics of the file was the allegations that Gülistan Doku was made pregnant and forced to have an abortion. Altaş said during his FBI interrogation that he had no direct knowledge of this matter. However, an important development took place when the content of the meeting he had previously held with his former employer Rüstem Keskin was read to him. It was recorded in the records that Altaş told Keskin that Mustafa Türkay Sonel told him that Gülistan was pregnant, that he wanted her to have an abortion, that Gülistan did not accept this and screamed, and that he killed her by shooting her in the head with a single shot.
FBI officers asked if these words were his. Altaş did not want to answer at first. He then recanted his decision and accepted that these statements belonged to him. However, he immediately claimed that he might have guessed about the pregnancy and abortion and that he did not remember some details.
ONE-TIME VIDEO CLAIM: DISCOMPOSED BODY
Another striking title in the FBI file was the WhatsApp video that Altaş told his former employer. According to the interrogation report, Altaş previously stated that Mustafa Türkay Sonel sent him a video that could only be viewed once via WhatsApp; He explained that he saw a dismembered body in the video. During FBI interrogation, Altaş confirmed that he received the video and that Mustafa Türkay Sonel sent it. He said the video lasted several seconds and showed a person holding part of a body. However, he argued that he could not determine for sure whether the body in the video belonged to Gülistan Doku. When FBI officers reminded him of his previous statement that he told his former employer that the person in the video was Gulistan, Altaş admitted that these words belonged to him, but claimed that he could not see the image clearly.
CRITICAL QUESTION FROM THE FBI: WERE YOU THERE DURING THE MURDER?
One of the most critical moments of the two-day interrogation was the 91st question. Altaş was reminded of his words in his conversation with his former boss, implying that he was with Mustafa Türkay Sonel during the murder, and clearly asked: "Were you with Mustafa Türkay Sonel and Gülistan Doku when Gülistan Doku was murdered? Did you personally witness the incident?" he was asked.
Altaş's answer was recorded in the FBI report as follows: "Yes to all of them." FBI agents then asked him again whether his statement that he was present at the scene of the murder was valid, despite contradictory statements he had given throughout two days of interrogation. Altaş confirmed that he was at the scene.
MESSAGE TO HIS FATHER: "STOP PLAYING THE ROLE, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SILENCED ME"
One of the striking evidence of the file was the WhatsApp message seized on the phone of Umut Altaş's father, Celal Altaş. During the investigation authorities' phone examination, Umut Altaş said to his father, "Stop pretending. You were the one who silenced me." It was determined that he sent the message. FBI officers asked Umut Altaş about the message.
Altaş admitted that he sent the message. However, he had difficulty explaining why he wrote this way and said that he did not remember. FBI officers said that the message could mean that Umut Altaş was silenced due to the Gülistan Doku incident and that his father played a role in sending him to the USA. Altaş first said that the decision to go to the USA was his own idea. When the question was deepened, "It was all our idea." he replied.
Altaş explained that he flew from Turkey to Mexico from Istanbul on May 25, 2022, and then crossed to the US border. He said about $10,000 was paid to a Mexican citizen in order to cross the border illegally. According to Altaş, this money was paid directly to the relevant person in Tunceli by his father.
I WAS ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE 27 DECEMBER MEETING AT THE YOUTH CENTER
The events that allegedly took place before Gülistan Doku's disappearance were also on the agenda of the FBI interrogation. According to the narrowed base study of the Turkish authorities, Altaş was asked about Umut Altaş and Gülistan Doku being in the same position around the Youth Center between 15.31-16.22 on December 27, 2019.
Altas; He said that he, Mustafa Türkay Sonel and possibly Gülistan might have been there. He explained that a girl was walking, Sonel followed her, the two of them entered the building and returned about 15 minutes later.
When FBI officers asked if this girl could be Gulistan, he said, "It might be possible." he replied. Altaş did not confirm the secret witness's allegations that drugs were used at the Youth Center and Gülistan was sexually assaulted.
HEAVY ACCUSEMENT TO FORMER GOVERNOR AT THE END OF INTERROGATION
At the end of the two-day interrogation, FBI officers asked Umut Altaş whether this was all he knew about Gülistan Doku. Altaş answered “Yes”. He then claimed that the investigation was not conducted fairly and accused the then Governor of Tunceli of covering up the incident and not bringing his son to justice. An important technical detail was also underlined in the 34-page file. The FBI specifically stated at the beginning of the report and in the second day part that Altaş's words were not a word-for-word analysis, but were prepared by the agents by summarizing the content of the conversation.
STATEMENT THAT MAY AFFECT THE CONTENT OF THE INVESTIGATION
Umut Altaş's statement in the USA is now in the hands of Turkish judicial authorities. The most critical headlines of the statement; Altaş's confirmation that he was in the vehicle and at the scene of the murder, the claim that Gülistan Doku was shot in the vehicle, the statement that the body was carried into the trunk, the claim that Şükrü Eroğlu stepped in after the incident, the statement "my father will handle this", the possible spot of the body on the Pertek road, returning to the bridge with the same BMW, the claim regarding the camera records and the message sent to his father: "You were the one who silenced me".
However, since Altaş gave contradictory statements on some critical details throughout the interrogation, and some of his statements regarding pregnancy, abortion and the subsequent fate of the body were based on hearing and transfer, not direct observation, the allegations in the FBI report are expected to be evaluated together with other evidence, HTS and PTS records, digital materials and witness statements.
In the investigation carried out by the Erzurum and Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices, efforts to reveal what happened to Gülistan Doku and where her body was found continue in many aspects.
