Police raid Gülen-inspired schools in Adana despite ministry regulation

The renowned Burç College in Adana was one of the institutions raided by inspectors backed by police forces. (Photo: Cihan)
The renowned Burç College in Adana was one of the institutions raided by inspectors backed by police forces. (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: August 10, 2015

BİLAL ÖĞÜTÇÜ/ / ADANA

The Adana Police Department early on Thursday coordinated with inspectors from several ministries and other institutions to conduct raids on private schools, dormitories and prep schools established by volunteers inspired by the Gülen movement, despite regulations stating that only the Education Ministry may perform such inspections.

The Adana Governor’s Office called on local branches and directorates of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, as well as the Health Ministry’s Adana provincial directorate, the Ministry of Education and the Social Security Institution (SGK) to prepare groups of inspectors to inspect 16 educational institutions in Adana under the coordination of the Adana Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau (KOM) on Thursday.

Police officers from KOM accompanied inspectors to those institutions by bus from the Adana Police Department despite Education Ministry regulations that permit no inspection of educational institutions by any government body unless coordinated by the ministry.

Today’s Zaman learned on Thursday that police officers also gave the inspectors questionnaires for the administrators and staff of the educational institutions. After the inspections, the reports of these inspectors were collected by the police officers.

When asked by the lawyers of the schools, none of the hundreds of inspectors were able to explain their reasons for inspecting the schools with police. The schools inspired by the Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement, including Burç College and Işık prep schools, were also similarly raided by the police along with inspectors in March.

Ahmet Karagöz, head of the Education Personnel Union (Eğitim-Sen) Adana branch, told Today’s Zaman that it is unacceptable to see police officers during an inspection of educational institutions. “There are inspectors in the Education Ministry, and there can be a commission of teachers if there are not sufficient inspectors.” Karagöz said.

Union of Active Educators (Aktif Eğitim-Sen) Adana branch head Ömer Yılmaz also reacted against the inspections coordinated and accompanied by police officers. Yılmaz said that it is the Education Ministry which coordinates inspections when any other state institution or any ministry wants to inspect any educational institution.

‘We did the same thing in February 28 coup era’

Serkan Ulufer, a lawyer for the Işık prep schools, also raided on Thursday, told Today’s Zaman that an inspector from the Ministry of Finance told him during the raids that he shouldn’t bother himself about it, as they did the same kind of inspections of educational institutions in coordination with police during the Feb.28, 1997 coup era. Ulufer said that “unfortunately, those people in the bureaucracy who coordinated inspections on educational institutions [established by conservative people] in Feb.28 are on duty again.”

Underlining the fact that no police officer can enter a private educational institution without a court decision, Ulufer said police officers even pressured inspectors when they couldn’t find anything wrong at the schools, saying, “Why can’t you find anything?”

On Tuesday dozens of inspectors along with at least 300 police officers from KOM units also raided Gülen-inspired schools and prep schools in the central Turkish town of Aksaray.

The raids are part of what is seen as a nationwide crackdown on institutions and individuals sympathetic to the Gülen movement, inspired by the views of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) accused sympathizers of the Gülen movement, especially those in the police force and the judiciary, of orchestrating a graft investigation against him and his inner circle which was revealed on Dec.17, 2013. The Gülen movement denies the charges.

Since the allegations surfaced nearly two years ago, the authorities have escalated raids and shut down or defamed numerous institutions or individuals close to the movement.

Source: Today's Zaman , August 07, 2015


Related News

Old reflexes of media against faith will rise again

The author says his book offers documents and detailed data on smear campaigns against religious people, including publications such as “Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar” (Simons in the Golden Horn) by Hanefi Avcı, “İmamın Ordusu” (The Imam’s Army) by Ahmet Şık, news portal Odatv and other websites used as tools in such smear campaigns. 11 December 2011, […]

Fethullah Gülen: ‘I Call For An International Investigation Into The Failed Putsch In Turkey’

I openly call on the Turkish government to allow for an international commission to investigate the coup attempt, and promise my full cooperation in this matter. If the commission finds one-tenth of the accusations against me to be justified, I am ready to return to Turkey and receive the harshest punishment.

Rebecca Harms: Working in Gülen-linked educational institutions not a crime

Speaking during the general assembly of the European Parliament (EP) on Thursday, Harms said working in institutions such as schools or universities with links to the Gülen movement is not a crime and that, similarly, being critical of the government and being a critical journalist are not crimes.

Today’s Zaman journalist faces deportation [from Turkey] over critical tweets on government

Zeynalov, a national of Azerbaijan, has been put on a list of foreign individuals who are barred from entering Turkey under Law No. 5683, because of “posting tweets against high-level state officials,” The move comes in an already-troubling atmosphere for media freedom. Late on Wednesday, Parliament passed a controversial bill tightening government control over the Internet in a move that critics say is aimed at silencing dissent.

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.

Nigerian Federal Government ignores Turkey’s request to close Turkish schools

The relations between Nigeria and Turkey have been traditionally cordial, and bilateral trade has grown over the years between them. The annual trade volume between Turkey and Nigeria was $1.2 billion by second quarter of 2016, and this consists of clothing, food, engines and automobile parts, as well as pharmaceuticals.

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

Pro-Erdoğan journalist: Gülen followers should be kept in detention camps, given food tickets

Gülen and the AK Party: A common quest for democracy or something more? (2)

Turkey’s AKP planning to blame Hizmet movement for Deep State’s crimes

Fethullah Gulen: “If the allegations are proved, I agree to return to Turkey”

Erdogan’s religious counsel issues fatwa for civil war, ordinary crimes

Gülen says planned assassinations of prominent figures in Turkey could be blamed on him

Top court annuls controversial law on prep school closure

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News