Man with 1 dollar bills acquitted of coup charges after admitting cocaine purchase

Mehmet Sinan İnce, a Turkish lawyer representing Turkey’s infamous mob boss Alaattin Çakıcı, have been acquitted of membership in the Gülen group, after he admitted that he was using one dollar bills that were found in his home to buy cocaine, the Sputnik reported.

Turkish investigators claimed possession of a one dollar bill and the serial number on the note is a mode of secret communication among Gülenists. This claim has led many people with a dollar bill to languish in Turkish jails including a US national who works at NASA.

Sinan İnce was earlier arrested after police found on-dollar bills during a raid on his house. During the trial on Friday, İnce defended himself by claiming that he used the bills to buy cocaine and therefore he had nothing to do with the Gülen group, which is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt in 2016.

The court reportedly ruled for the release of the lawyer and accuitted him of any coup-related charges.

Turkish authorities have so far come up with many different theories regarding the $1 bills that come out of people’s pockets. According to one theory, the letters at the start of the banknotes’ serial numbers correspond to ranks in the movement. For instance, the letter “F” indicates a high-ranking soldier or police chief, while J and C represent low-ranking soldiers. B is for students, while E and S are for instructors and academics in Gülenist schools.

Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag is among those authorities who are convinced that the $1 bill is a clear indication of membership in the Gülen movement. In one of his recent interviews with the pro-gov’t A Haber television channel, he said, “There is no doubt that this $1 bill has some important function within the Gülenist terror organization.”

Recently speaking to The Associated Press, a senior government official also said Turkish authorities are sure that these specific $1 bills were being used to send “secret” messages or designate the rank of the holder.

“Multiple people questioned over involvement in the military coup of July 15 told prosecutors they received $1 bills from superiors within the Gülen movement. They were told that Fethullah Gülen himself had blessed the banknotes,” the official said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Published on Turkey Purge, 16 March 2018, Friday