Wife of arrested teacher: I was offered to lie about others in exchange for my husband’s release

Neslihan Taşyürek. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
Neslihan Taşyürek. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: July 28, 2015

The wife of one of the teachers detained in a government-led operation against people deemed to be affiliated with a civil society organization demonized by the ruling party was asked to provide false testimony against those in custody in exchange for having her husband released.

On Thursday, the İzmir Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit raided more than 15 houses and shops belonging to locals thought to be close to the Gülen movement, a faith-based initiative also known as the Hizmet movement.

For the duration of the searches, only police officers were allowed inside the buildings, while computers, hard disks, flash drives, cellphones, CDs and DVDs were seized.

Eighteen of the 22 who were taken into custody were released on Sunday. Akif Hikmet Taşyürek, a computer science teacher, was arrested alongside three small business owners.

However, Taşyürek’s wife, Neslihan, told Today’s Zaman that during her husband’s detainment she was called by an anonymous number where the caller offered to have her husband released in return for false testimony concerning the others detained.

Underlining that her husband had done nothing wrong, she said: “They detained my husband, while thieves and rapists roam free. I know that my husband has done nothing wrong. I am proud of him.”

Those detained were accused of granting financial support to and being members of the Gülen movement, inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his associates within the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) claim instigated a corruption probe that went public on Dec. 17, 2013, incriminating four former Cabinet ministers, businessmen with close ties to the government, senior bureaucrats and family members of the then-prime minister as part of an effort to overthrow the government.

Friday’s police raid was made legal by a controversial law passed in December 2014 allowing authorities to detain anyone about whom there is “reasonable suspicion” — rather than tangible evidence — of involvement in a crime. With the new law, the threshold for the burden of proof required to obtain a search warrant and detain suspects was reduced.

The AK Party has targeted people thought to be close to the Gülen movement in a series of operations since December 2013. Almost all of those detained have subsequently been released after a few days because the authorities failed to provide evidence proving that they had been involved in criminal activity.

Erdoğan claims the Gülen movement tried and failed to carry out a coup attempt against him and his government in December 2013 and has waged a self-declared war against the movement, even going so far as to say, “If reassigning [public-sector workers] who betray this country is called a witch hunt, then yes, we will carry out this witch hunt,” during a speech at an AK Party conference in 2014.

Source: Today's Zaman


Related News

13 recommendations to MGK secretary for inclusion in ‘Red Book’

The president pays attention to the current National Security Council (MGK). He is determined to declare Hizmet a terror organization. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is not interested in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Kobani, Syria, the approximately 3 million refugees and the murder of 40 people in violent protests. His only concern is Hizmet. Given that the MGK is designed to be a place to discuss personal concerns, I, as a citizen, would like to raise some points of recommendation for the MGK secretary-general for possible inclusion on the agenda of the council.

UK Parliament: No evidence that Gülen, movement behind coup attempt

Contrary to accusations made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish government, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament has concluded that Fethullah Gülen and the movement he inspired as a whole were not behind a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15.

Steller: For Turks, post-coup purges make U.S. safe harbor

There’s the political rhetoric — mainly Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslim immigrants or, in the most recent version, to suspend immigration from countries that have exported terrorism.

Arab Students in Turkey Facing Arbitrary Arrest

Arab students who have previously studied at universities considered by Turkish security forces to have been influenced by the U.S-based cleric Fethullah Gülen are being arrested and threatened with deportation by police. Many such students have already been deported.

Letter campaign launched for Turkey’s imprisoned women, mothers

In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, more than 17,000 women from all walks of life including teachers, doctors and housewives have been jailed in Turkey on coup charges in government-led operations. There are currently more than 700 children accompanying their mothers in Turkish jails.

Power struggle for the state or deep rift about Turkey?

As an external observer, I see a profound rift having taken place between Erdoğan — more than anybody else in the AKP — and the Hizmet movement; and that has much less to do with the power struggle than a resistance to another massive, individual attempt to accumulate power in one person.What has defined Erdoğan’s way with various social segments since 2011 is to alienate, antagonize, suppress and devour. So was his pattern with the dissident Kurds, Alevis, leftists, liberals and now Hizmet.

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

Bank Asya answers smear campaign

First Documentary on the Hizmet Movement

594 Young Children Growing Up In Turkish Prisons

Minister thankful to Fethullah Gulen for backing the peace process

Human rights group urges foreign gov’ts to ensure safety of Gülen followers

Erdogan in Africa: Gulen and trade ties

MEP: International investigation into Turkey’s rule of law needed

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News