Search efforts for missing woman ends after 226 days

TUNCELİ

Search efforts to find the body of a young woman, Gülistan Doku, who has been missing since Jan. 5 have ended in the eastern province of Tunceli.

“All possibilities and capabilities were used in the search for Gülistan Doku, and no results were obtained from the efforts we have been carrying out in the hope of finding her for 226 days,” said a statement made by the Tunceli Governor’s Office.

“The underwater and surface exploration work was meticulously carried out in an area of 1,320 decares, which continued for 13 days in the Uzunçayır Dam Lake,” it added.

Some of the water in the dam had been discharged around Dinar Bridge, where the 21-year-old was last seen following an argument with her boyfriend.

Police, gendarmerie and navy teams had conducted a comprehensive search work after the required level of water was withdrawn from the dam.

The governor’s office also said that 222 people were interviewed as part of the investigation of Doku’s disappearance, adding that 900 hours of detailed camera monitoring was done during the efforts.

Women’s rights groups have called for scrutiny over a possible involvement of the ex-boyfriend, as Doku’s death came amid an unbridled number of femicides in Turkey.