Date posted: August 19, 2015

The witch hunt against the opponents of the government continues and is growing. In another instance of a government-orchestrated operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement, the police along with inspectors conducted raids around 6 am on Tuesday at dozens of institutions owned by the Yamanlar Educational Institutions, which was established by volunteers of the movement in the western province of İzmir.

Along with inspectors, police also raided Yumurcak Dünyası kindergarten, which was for children aged 4-5.

Police carried out search in the building and houses of the principals and accountant of the institutions. The politically motivated raids involved officers combing through school and seizing computers in an effort to find “evidence.”

Police have detained nine people during the raids and the searches at the institutions still continue.

Parents were shocked after the raids against the educational institutions. Seher Sarıaslan, whose children studying at the Karşıyaka Yamanlar Elementary School, said: “While our soldiers die day by day in the country, conducting raids against one of the successful schools in the country is just surprising. I am so sad. It’s a just witch hunt operation.”

Speaking to the press, Mustafa Doğanlı, the lawyer representing the institutions, described the raids against the educational institutions is a travesty of justice. “Police raided the kindergarten, which was for children aged 4-5, at 6 am. Even the inspectors don’t know the reason of the raids. Which kind of crime can be happen here? This is an institution for children aged 4-5.”

The Yamanlar Education Institutions are known for their success both in the national high school and university entrance examinations and international Olympics.

The raids are part of a nationwide crackdown on institutions and individuals sympathetic to the Gülen movement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the Gülen movement of orchestrating a graft investigation against him and his inner circle. The Gülen movement denies the charges. Since the allegations surfaced nearly two years ago, the authorities have escalated raids, shutting down or defaming institutions or individuals close to the movement.

Source: BGNNews , August 18, 2015

Tags: Defamation of Hizmet | Education | Hizmet-inspired schools | Turkey |