8 detained in police raids on İzmir schools as Erdoğan’s witch hunt continues

The private Yumurcak Dünyası Daycare Center was raided by the police as part of AK Party government-orchestrated operations. (Photo: Cihan)
The private Yumurcak Dünyası Daycare Center was raided by the police as part of AK Party government-orchestrated operations. (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: August 19, 2015

Eight people were detained on charges of forging documents in police raids on 30 private schools established by volunteers from the faith-based Gülen movement early on Tuesday in İzmir, as part of a Justice and Development Party (AK Party government-orchestrated operation targeting the movement.

This is the latest in a number of raids on successful schools and prep schools run by Gülen movement volunteers. The raids have led to outrage on social media, with users likening the government’s actions to those of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that has targeted schools offering a “Western” education in Nigeria.

Schools raided by officers from the İzmir Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit included the Gaziemir, Karşıyaka, Karabağlar, Kemalpaşa and Menemen branches of Yamanlar educational Institutions, as well as the Gonca daycare center in the district of Buca. Among those detained were principals and executive managers of companies linked with the schools, in an investigation carried out by public prosecutor Okan Bato.

In 2014, the private Yamanlar schools won a total of 18 medals — three gold, eight silver and seven bronze — in the 22nd National Science Olympiad and the 19th National Mathematics Olympiad for primary and secondary schools.

In addition, six students from the schools got full marks on the 2015 Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS), and five others were among the top 10 highest-ranking students of this year’s Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS). Among these students were Murat Kaya, who came first in the Turkish and Mathematics (TM) 1, 2 and 3 categories and Emre Kızıltuğ, who came first in the Language 1 and 2 categories of the LYS. Melih Demir was the second-top scorer on this year’s YGS.

A number of members of opposition parties spoke to the Cihan news agency and criticized the police raids. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP İzmir deputy Murat Koç accused the government of negligence, arguing that it is shameful to use police force to raid schools while terrorist attacks take place, adding: “Everyone needs to act in the best interests of the country.”

Former Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay reiterated this sentiment, stating, “While Turkey has lots of problems, including corruption, terrorism and other issues of security, carrying out raids on private and prep schools doesn’t conform to wisdom or ethics.”

MHP deputy Aslan Savaşan also criticized the use of police resources, particularly at this time, remarking: “It’s not right to carry out raids on schools like Yamanlar, which have become widely respected. How democratic is it to vindictively carry out raids on educational institutions, while in southeastern Anatolia, and in some parts of eastern Anatolia, a terrorist organization declares so-called autonomy?”

Aytun Çınay, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP highlighted possible motivations for the raids, saying: “I’d like to draw your attention to the timing of the police raids. Terrorist activity by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKKs at a peak, many people have been martyred and the election process will probably begin again. These raids must be caused by the palace’s need to change the national agenda.”

Another CHP deputy, Özcan Purçu, stated that the current government has dealt the single biggest blow to education in the history of the republic.

Former MHP deputy Lütfü Türkkan criticized the raids on social media. “Carry out raids not in schools but in places where PKK terrorist activities are planned, so that our sons will not be martyred,” Türkkan tweeted on Tuesday.

Resul Tunçkır, a lawyer representing the Karabağlar branch of the Yamanlar primary and secondary schools, mentioned that the raid on the school began around 6:30 a.m. and stated: “Upon hearing about [other recent] police raids on schools across Turkey, we expected to be raided. We have been faced with constant administrative inspections, and inspectors asked that an official from the Finance Ministry seize some documents. They can take any document they want. It’s no problem for us.”

Tunçkır thanked the judge that issued the search warrant for the school, saying that the search has proven that the school is not a shelter for terrorists. He added: “Police also took video footage inside the school. I request that they share it with the public, and let everyone be aware that we are not educating terrorists. This institution was established in 1982. Here, we are educating students to be ethical and loyal to their country and nation.”

Other private schools, including Fatih Colleges, Samanyolu Colleges and Atlantik Secondary Schools, which are sympathetic to the Gülen movement — a faith-based social initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — have also been targeted by the AK Party government after a major graft investigation that implicated President RecRecep Tayyip Erdoğand other top AK Party figures was made public on Dec. 17, 2013.

Then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the Gülen movement of plotting to overthrow his government. In May 2014, Erdoğan publicly advised AK Party supporters not to send their children to schools affiliated with the movement, vowing, “We will not even give water [to the movement’s members].” He has also said he would carry out a “witch hunt” against anyone with any link to the movement. Erdoğan has also ordered officials in AK Party-run municipalities to seize land and buildings belonging to the Gülen movement by any means necessary. The movement strongly rejects the allegations and no indictment has been brought against it.

Source: Today's Zaman , August 18, 2015


Related News

President Gül says Turkish Olympiads ‘greatest service’ to Turkey

The president has branded the annual contest of foreign students on the Turkish language the “greatest service” to Turkey, Turkish culture and its language, as he met with contestants participating in this year’s Olympiads. President Abdullah Gül told reporters while meeting with participants of the 11th Turkish Olympiads in the Çankaya presidential palace that organizations […]

Kimse Yok Mu to send aid for Syrian refugees with 50 TIRs

Aid materials were collected from various provinces in the Marmara Region and the TIRs arrived in Bolu province. The aid material will be given to around 117, 000 Syrians in the refugee camps. 300 tons of flour, 25 tons of milk, 200 tons of dry food and clothes have been loaded in trucks.

A reasonable statement from Fethullah Gülen

The statement made by Fethullah Gülen regarding the choice of the name Yavuz Sultan Selim for the third bridge over the Bosporus that is to be built by the government will certainly enrich the ongoing debate about this issue and will lead to a reconsideration of using this name. The sensitivities of the Islamic segment while evaluating […]

Best robot design award for Turkish school students in NY competition

ORHAN AKKURT, NEW YORK Students from the private Turkish school Pioneer Academy of Science were granted the prize of the best robot design in a competition in New York last week. Ninety-five schools participated in the competition FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) displaying designs of robots. At the end of the competition, the team from the […]

You are free to touch Hizmet movement

There are other journalists, very secular journalists who have denounced Fethullah Gülen and his movement, defined him as a CIA agent or a secret Christian, all sorts of things, but they have never been imprisoned.

Media Imposes Official Ideology, Creating Negative non-Muslim Image

Intellectuals and journalists who gathered at a workshop for a debate on how the media treats non-Muslims in society have said that the media has had a crucial role in imposing official ideology on society. “It is not that all negative perceptions in the media regarding non-Muslims have been determined by media bosses or chief […]

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

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

Mississippi group, national officials denounce ISIS

Gulen-linked school manager released on bail by Tbilisi court

Exiled journalist discusses crisis in Turkey

Is Nigeria now a part of Turkey?

US professor urges Washington not to extradite Gülen to Turkey

Prof. Leo Lefebure on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News