Police raid business association in Malatya in new government-backed operation

Police officers arrived at the MAKİAD building on Thursday evening to conduct a search based on a court decision. (Photo: DHA)
Police officers arrived at the MAKİAD building on Thursday evening to conduct a search based on a court decision. (Photo: DHA)


Date posted: May 8, 2015

Police teams entered and searched the premises of the Malatya Active Businessmen’s Association (MAKİAD) on Thursday in a new wave of government-led operations targeting institutions deemed to have an affiliation with the Gülen movement — a faith-based initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

According to the Cihan news agency, police officers arrived at the MAKİAD building on Thursday evening and told the association’s officials that they would conduct a search based on a court decision. After the arrival of the association’s lawyers, the search began. As the search continued in the building and no one was allowed inside, members of the association prepared and served çiğ köfte, a traditional dish in Turkey made with bulgur wheat and spices, outside the building.

The police raid was allowed due to a controversial law passed in December 2014 that makes it possible for the authorities to arrest anyone about whom there is “reasonable suspicion,” and not necessarily tangible evidence. With the new law, the threshold for the burden of proof required for obtaining a search warrant was reduced from strong and concrete evidence to mere reasonable suspicion. The police are not only able to easily search any individual, their home and vehicle, but also easily seize the property of all so-called dissidents on the grounds that they have committed a crime against the government.

The raid in Malatya comes on the heels of similar recent moves by the police.
After obtaining a search warrant from the Manisa First Criminal Court of Peace, police raided six associations in the province of Manisa on Tuesday, following on from an operation last week. The Manisa branch of the Turkish aid organization Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anyone There?) was targeted, in addition to other civil society organizations such as the Feza Educational and Cultural Foundation and the Health and Education Association, the Social Aid Association, the Moris Şinasi International Children’s Health Association, Manisa Public Education And Teaching, Health and Social Assistance Association and the Aviation Community Sports Association.

Source: Today's Zaman , May 07, 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Peruvian congress members speak about sociopolitical issues at PII in New York

Considering the recent developments in Turkey, many could find significant similarities between Turkey’s challenges with democratic transition and Latin American politics.

Laughter-guaranteed terrorist organization indictment

With exaggerated details, they explain that they will sell the bottle of “miraculous” liquid they produce from their bags only for TL 100. After a brief bargaining, they put the bottle in your hands only for TL 5. When you get home, you understand that it was nothing but tap water mixed with essence and you get enraged.

Turkey’s post-coup crackdown moves overseas

In several cases, Turkey has offered to run the seized institutions, although it is expected to face legal challenges. Kimse Yok Mu, which had more than 200,000 volunteers in 100 countries before being forcibly closed after the coup attempt, is understood to be preparing to take the decision to international courts. Joshua Hendrick, an expert on the Gulen movement said Ankara faced a big challenge when it came to stepping into the shoes of its former allies.

Turkish imam spy affair in Germany extends across Europe

The Federal Prosecutors Office (GBA) said in a statement no arrests were made in the raids in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Rhineland-Pfalz, which aimed to collect evidence into imams conducting alleged espionage against supporters of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Hate speech and respect for the sacred

Islam seeks to protect five major principles that are specified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and adopted in the modern world: religious freedom, the right to observe religious duties and the protection of this right; the right to life and its protection; the right to mental and physical health and its protection; the right to property and its protection; the right to marriage and reproduction and its protection.

Bangladeshi scholar publishes book on Gülen

İBRAHIM SAĞIR, DHAKA A ceremony celebrating the publication of a book called “Introducing Fethullah Gülen to the Bengal and Beyond” by Professor Maimul Ahsan Khan was held at the Turkish Cultural Center in Dhaka on Saturday. Focused on the life, ideas and work of Gülen, who was selected as the world’s top intellectual by the […]

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*

Parents Of Afghan-Turk Students To Lodge Complaint Against National Directorate of Security

Erdoğan’s AKP runs out of steam, then what?

Kimse Yok Mu continues relief efforts in Gaza

Turkey’s Gulen movement sees a smear campaign

Kimse Yok Mu conducts cataract surgeries in Nepal

The Erdoğan-Gülen encounter and democracy

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News