Another Victim of Erdogan’s Wrath

Customers brandish banknotes as they prepare to deposit in their Bank Asya accounts in the western Turkish city of Canakkale. (Photo: Cihan)
Customers brandish banknotes as they prepare to deposit in their Bank Asya accounts in the western Turkish city of Canakkale. (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: February 6, 2015

MAHIR ZEYNALOV

In an unprecedented display of solidarity to bail out a bank that has been a target of a relentless campaign waged by the Turkish authorities for over a year, Turkish depositors flooded the branches of the bank across Turkey to save it from the president’s wrath.

Twitter and Facebook filled with photos of people waiting in long lines to deposit what they have in cash or jewelry, signaling that the government’s attempt to sink the bank will end in vain.

The picture could seem as a joke, but it is not. This is the second campaign by loyal depositors, albeit a bigger one, to dash the hopes of Turkey’s bellicose President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who reportedly ordered to sink the bank.

Erdoğan’s unceasing bid to bury the bank is largely driven by his declared witch-hunt against institutions affiliated with the Gülen movement. In the latest twist to a saga, a banking watchdog ordered the state insurance fund to take over the management of the bank. The news of the takeover came minutes after Turkey’s famous whistleblower Fuat Avni warned against a campaign by the Turkish government and the pro-government media to portray the bank as “failing” to prompt “sudden mass withdrawals” and hence speed up its demise.

The authorities have so far been unsuccessful to end the bank’s life as loyal customers kept it afoot by depositing their assets. The government views the fall of the bank as an important milestone in dealing a blow to the Gülen movement, which has been adamant to bow before the president’s increasingly growing clout.

On the social media, Turks shared photos of their jewelry before they were deposited in gold accounts. Given that refined jewelry loses significant value when deposited in a bank account, the sacrifice of the depositors is jaw-dropping.

Here are some photos of long lines in Bank Asya branches across Turkey:

Source: The Huffington Post , February 5, 2015


Related News

Erdoğan threatens Kosovo PM: You will pay

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday lashed out at Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj for dismissing the interior minister and the secret service chief over the abduction of six Turkish nationals to Turkey, threatening that he would pay for it.

EP discusses transparency call for Hizmet

In a letter dated Jan. 20 that was sent to all members of the EP, the Brussels-based Intercultural Dialogue Platform (IDP), whose honorary president is Gülen, stated that it welcomes calls upon the Hizmet movement to improve its transparency and accountability.

Police detain another woman shortly after delivery, bringing total to 16

Ayşe Kaya, 30-year-old woman who gave birth to a baby in İstanbul early on Tuesday, was reportedly detained by police with her newborn baby later the same day. Turkish government has systematically been detaining women on coup charges either when they are pregnant or shortly after giving birth. This incident is the second in a week and 16th in the past 9 months.

Ex-FM Yakış defends Turkish schools as the torch bearer of Ottoman vision

Yaşar Yakış is a founder and former member of the ruling AK Party (Justice and Development Party) and served as Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002-2003. Speaking to Bugün Newspaper Yakış on developments pertaining to domestic and foreign policy Yakış emphasizes that the ruling AK Party has drifted off its founding principles.

Gülen’s lawyer appeals arrest warrant

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, has appealed the decision of the İstanbul 1st Penal Court of Peace to issue an arrest warrant for Gülen, citing illegality.

Gülen, Hizmet, the state and the AKP

Gülen has placed much emphasis on education. With a new ijtihad (independent reasoning), he always stated that instead of building a mosque, religious businessmen must establish secular schools that will educate the future’s engineers, doctors, lawyers, journalists and yes, police, prosecutors and judges.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Gulen’s new book: “Muslims’ Responsibility in Countering Violence”

Erdoğan, Gülen among 10 Turkish figures in Foreign Policy 500 List

Gulen Movement: An attempt to represent Islam and Muslims positively

Kimse Yok Mu presenting a role model for Brazilian disaster management

Prof. Nanda: Extraditing Fethullah Gulen to Turkey would erode the rule of law

Turkish charities ready to deliver aid during Eid al-Adha

Abundant accusations [against Hizmet], little evidence

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News