Istanbul police display hundreds of books among evidence of ‘terror’
Date posted: September 7, 2016
Police in Istanbul’s Esenler province displayed seized books of Fethullah Gülen as evidence of terror.
In a statement on Monday, Esenler police said it has detained 31 suspects as part of investigations into the Gulen Movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt, so far. While 14 of the suspects were arrested, 16 were released. The detention process is still underway for the remaining one, the statement said.
Turkish government pinned the blame for the failed coup attempt on the movement while the latter has denied involvement on multiple occasions.
Police seized Gülen’s 1,500 books; 24 CDs featuring Gülen’s speeches; TL 435,200 ($148,000) along with $99,200 and 700 euros; several laptops; two guns and some digital data, during operations targeting the alleged terrorist network of the movement.
While on its face, the notion that elements in the Turkish military loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deliberately launched a “fake coup” to justify a crackdown on Erdoğan’s enemies sounds farfetched, the belief is taking hold not only among Turkey’s staunch secularist minority and followers of Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, but also among those who know the Turkish military well.
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