New arrests in the file of the Turkish artist Gullu… and the daughter is under suspicion

The Turkish police arrested the daughter of the late artist Gullu, known as Toyan, for fear that she would attempt to leave the country, as part of the ongoing investigations into her mother’s mysterious death last September, which investigators believe may not have been an accident.

At dawn on Wednesday, security forces raided a residential apartment in the Buyukcekmece area, west of Istanbul, where they arrested the daughter, accompanied by her friend Sultan Nur, who was with her the night Gullu fell from the balcony of her room on the fifth floor in the city of Yalova, near Istanbul.

Local media reported that the arrest decision came after information became available about the two young women’s intention to leave Türkiye, at a time when investigations are still open and no final conclusion has been reached about the circumstances of the death.

The Public Prosecution charged the daughter and her friend with “premeditated murder,” based on their contradictory statements several times during the investigations. The police also arrested the car driver who transported them from Yalova to Istanbul, in addition to the owner of the apartment in which they were staying.

The incident dates back to midnight on September 26, when the 52-year-old singer fell from the balcony of her room, after she appeared in surveillance camera recordings dancing to the music shortly before she entered the room.

The daughter had previously denied the existence of any criminal suspicions or family disputes with her mother, whose death was a shock in the Turkish artistic community and among her fans. On the other hand, the competent authorities continued the investigation, even after the issuance of the forensic report, which indicated a high percentage of alcohol in the deceased’s blood, in addition to her taking anti-anxiety medications that may lead to a loss of balance.

Since its occurrence, the case has been widely followed by the late artist’s fans, in light of increasing skepticism about the official story and the premise that there was a crime behind her death.