June 7, 2016

Court appoints trustee to Mevlana University as part of ongoing gov’t crackdown

A court in the central province of Konya has appointed a trustee to take over the management of a foundation that runs the Mevlana University, in what is the latest in a series of government moves against the sympathizers of the Gülen movement.

Within the same investigation, only around 20 days ago, a number of schools and dormitories were seized by the government.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government launched an all-out war against the Gülen movement, after a corruption investigation targeting people in Erdoğan’s inner circle became public with a wave of detentions on Dec. 17, 2013.

Erdoğan accused police officers, judges and prosecutors he claimed are linked with Gülen movement, which is inspired by Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, of being behind the investigation, which he branded as a “coup attempt.”

The movement strongly denies the allegations brought against it.

The move to appoint trustees comes amidst escalating government pressure on sympathizers of the Gülen movement as well as business groups, hospitals and schools affiliated with it.

Published on Turkish Minute, 7 June 2016, Tuesday

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