July 18, 2014

HSYK launches inquiry about Hizmet prosecutor

The 3rd Chamber of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has decided to begin an official inquiry regarding the activities of Ankara prosecutor Serdar Coşkun, who is currently overseeing the investigation that is targeting the Hizmet movement.

A number of probes have been launched to investigate Hizmet, a grassroots voluntary education and interfaith dialogue movement. They were propelled by the government, which has declared the movement to be a hidden villain, plotting to topple the government through government corruption investigations that became public after police raids made on Dec. 17, 2013.

Coşkun has been in the spotlight in recent weeks since his instructions to the National Police Department to search for evidence that would be useful in associating the Hizmet movement with violence were disclosed.

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Fethullah Gülen, a Muslim scholar who inspired the worldwide Hizmet movement, asked Coşkun if investigation number 2014/75025 has anything to do with Gülen. He also wanted to be informed of the details of the file, but Coşkun denied that request. Albayrak then filed a complaint about the prosecutor. The HSYK decision to launch an inspection was made after receiving Albayrak's complaint.

Published on Today's Zaman, 18 July 2014, Friday