Turkish gov’t detains academics, doctors for watching Gülen speech

Turkish police on Friday detained 7 people, including two academics and three doctors, for watching a video of a speech by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen on their mobile phones in a car in Adıyaman province, pro-government Hürriyet daily reported.

The Gülen movement is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement strongly denies any involvement.

A total of 62,895 people were detained in 2017 as part of investigations into the movement, according to Interior Ministry reports.

Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Jan. 5 said 48,305 people were jailed in 2017 alone over Gülen movement links.

Soylu said on Dec. 12 that 55,665 people have been jailed and 234,419 passports have been revoked as part of investigations into the movement since the failed coup.

Soylu on Nov. 16 had said eight holdings and 1,020 companies were seized as part of operations against the movement.

The Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 169,013 people have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.

Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and other civil servants since July 15 through government decrees issued as part of an ongoing state of emergency declared after the coup attempt. (turkishminute.com)

Published on Stockholm Center for Freedom, 9 February 2018, Friday