Police raid house of 96-year-old philanthropist in İzmir

96-year-old Mustafa Şık is seen in this undated photo. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
96-year-old Mustafa Şık is seen in this undated photo. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: December 22, 2015

HASAN ÇİLİNGİR / TEKİN GÜRBULAK / IZMIR

Police raided the house of 96-year-old Mustafa Şık, a prominent philanthropist, in İzmir on Friday as part of a government-initiated “witch hunt” operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement.

Today’s Zaman learned on Saturday that police raided Şık’s house with the intention of arresting him but upon seeing his poor medical condition, officers questioned Şık while he remained in bed. They later reported the incident to İzmir Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Okan Bato, who is overseeing the case at the İzmir Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Thirty-seven people including businessmen, lawyers and a civil servant were detained on Friday after police officers conducted raids on 40 locations in İzmir, İstanbul, Antalya, Malatya, Eskişehir and Muğla based on an order from Bato. According to a report by the Cihan news agency on Friday, the majority of the detainees are over 60 and one of the lawyers has cancer.

The İzmir Public Prosecutor’s Office claimed in a statement on Friday that the suspects supported the Gülen movement by donating money, sacrificial animals during the Eid al-Adha festival and providing scholarships to students.

According to the statement, all the suspects are accused of financially supporting the “parallel state,” a term coined by current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to refer to the Gülen movement following the Dec. 17, 2013 graft scandal, which implicated some of Erdoğan’s family members and senior Justice and Development Party (AK Party) figures. Erdoğan was prime minister at the time the investigations became public.

The İzmir Public Prosecutor’s Office said that 57 detention warrants had been issued as of Friday and that 40 locations searched by police officers from the İzmir Police Department. Police are looking for the remaining 20 people for whom detention warrants have been issued.

In another operation targeting the Gülen movement in İzmir on July 24, police detained 22 locals, 18 of whom were later released by a court. The remaining four were arrested but later released as a result of an objection filed against their arrest.

The latest operation conducted in İzmir coincided with the second anniversary of the graft scandal. Erdoğan has accused the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement — a grassroots initiative inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — of plotting to overthrow his government. Erdoğan has said he will carry out a “witch hunt” against anyone with links to the movement. However, no concrete evidence has been brought before any court proving that Gülen movement was involved in the operations against the government and people involved in corruption in 2013. The movement strongly rejects the allegations brought against it.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 20, 2015


Related News

Science, Culture and Art activity held at Fatih College

Near the end of 2013-2014 academic year, Fatih College held a large scale activity with the participation of 25,000 students from 106 colleges.

The Hizmet movement and participatory democracy

The Hizmet movement’s objections make an important contribution to the formation of participatory democracy in Turkey. So far, Turkish democracy was a game among political parties in the absence of a strong civil society and market actors.

Bride, groom detained in bridal car while on way to wedding venue

Emine Cetik and Aykut Kutlu, a soon-to-be-married couple, were stopped by police in a bridal car and detained over links to the Gulen movement while they were on their way to the wedding venue.

Hizmet movement and government

Yavuz Baydar  June 14, 2012 Is it the movement attacking the government, or vice versa? Some believe that it is, some hope that it is, some deny that it is and many others feel deeply concerned that it is. I tend to belong to the latter camp. It is undeniable that the Hizmet movement (aka […]

Turkey torture claims in wake of failed coup

Kamil continues. “‘If you don’t speak, we’ll bring your wife here and rape her in front of your eyes’, they said. Then they took me to a dark room and tried to forcefully insert a baton into my anus. When they couldn’t do it, they left. Maybe I will forget the other torture – but for the sexual part, it is carved into the dirtiest corner of my heart.”

Ministry dismisses honorary consuls, allegedly for ‘Hizmet’ affiliation

The Turkish Foreign Ministry did not renew honorary consuls’ certificates due to their affiliation with the Hizmet movement, Turkish media reported.

Latest News

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

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Not appearing in the worst selfie in history

Cops vs. robbers [in Turkey]

Bank Asya faithful boost deposits after Turkey seizes lender

AK Party-Hizmet clash a blessing for world Muslims

Erdoğan calls for expanded witch hunt against Gülen followers

Russian expert: Kimse Yok Mu is in no way a terrorist organization

Civil death: Amnesty report on social upheaval caused by Turkey’s purge of public servants

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News