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Umut Altaş Letter Alleges Son of Former Tunceli Governor Killed University Student
A letter sent by Umut Altaş to the Tunceli chief prosecutor claims that M. Türkay Sonel, son of former Tunceli governor Tuncay Sonel, admitted to killing a girl and said his father took care of the burial. The alleged victim is university student Gülistan Doku, who disappeared in early January 2020. Altaş describes being taken to YURTKUR on 4 January, witnessing a girl enter a house, and later travelling to a café and the governor’s mansion on 5 January. He notes a firearm was present in the car and recounts a later message to a contact named Şükrü asking, “Did you take care of it?”
Washington Representative Yavuz Atalay tracked Altaş, who was arrested in the United States and is being held at the Moshannon Valley ICE detention center in Pennsylvania. Atalay visited Altaş in the U.S. prison and stated the case has shifted from a missing‑person file to a murder investigation, prompting renewed scrutiny of the Sonel family’s involvement.
Entities
Gülistan Doku · M. Türkay Sonel · Tuncay Sonel · Umut Altaş · Yavuz Atalay
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The letter states that M. Türkay Sonel told Altaş he had killed a girl and his father handled the burial. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The letter mentions a gun in the passenger seat of the car used by Türkay Sonel. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Altaş described being taken to YURTKUR, a café and the governor’s mansion on 5 January 2020. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Washington Representative Yavuz Atalay helped locate and visit Umut Altaş in U.S. detention. www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Umut Altaş sent a letter to Turkish prosecutors containing allegations about a killing. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The letter includes a message to a person named Şükrü asking, “Did you take care of it?”. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The alleged killing took place on 4‑5 January 2020 in Tunceli and involved university student Gülistan Doku. www.gazetepencere.com · www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Umut Altaş is detained at the Moshannon Valley ICE detention center in Pennsylvania, USA. www.aksam.com.tr · www.gercekgundem.com