Dutch police detain second Turkish man for threatening Erdoğan critics


Date posted: September 8, 2016

Dutch police on Wednesday detained a second Turkish man, a supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on suspicion of death threats and hate speech made against Erdoğan critics in the Netherlands.

Rotterdam police detained a 43-year-old Dutchman of Turkish descent who is suspected of having threatened critics of the Turkish president and backers of US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

On Monday, the Dutch police detained a 42-year-old Turkish man on the same charge.

The Turkish government blames Gülen and his supporters for a failed coup on July 15, a charge denied by Gülen.

In a statement on Monday Dutch police said they had investigated 150 complaints related to the aftermath of Turkey’s coup since mid-July, roughly half of them for threats and intimidation appearing on social media.

After Monday’s detention, Dutch prosecutors said more detentions were likely.

Turkey’s post-coup fallout has spilled over into Turkish immigrant neighborhoods in the Netherlands, with lists of purported Gülen supporters circulating on social media, exposing families and schoolchildren to death threats, Reuters reported.

“We aim to de-escalate, but if necessary we will take action,” Reuters quoted Peter Slort, a regional police chief, as saying.

Rotterdam police set up a special team to investigate the threats and claims and had examined 170 complaints as of Wednesday.

After a wave of immigration in the 1960s and 1970s, there are roughly 400-500,000 Dutch Turks. A small minority are known to be Gülen supporters.

Source: Turkish Minute , September 8, 2016

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Turkey Wants Mongolia To Shut Down Turkish Schools

Just ten years ago, Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc recalled a dramatic scene. One diplomat dropped his teacup upon hearing that he was posted to Mongolia with 5,000 USD, special residence, and a car — a lavish job at that time. “How can I live there?” the diplomat reportedly asked, according to Arinc.

Turkey’s Gulen Demand – The U.S. shouldn’t extradite the exiled Turk without better evidence

Turkey is demanding that the U.S. extradite Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating this month’s failed military coup. “The evidence is crystal clear,” PM Yildirim told the Journal Tuesday, adding that Washington’s request for evidence of Mr. Gulen’s guilt is superfluous “when 265 people have been killed.” If that’s Mr. Yildirim’s standard of proof, Washington should deny the request.

Istanbul police display hundreds of books among evidence of ‘terror’

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.

Fetullah Gülen, the preferred enemy – Interview

Hizmet is an Islamic movement with activities in more than 180 countries. To its followers, the gulenists, Gulen — a man with swallow feet and low voice who says he spends most of his time praying and studying — is a democrat in favor of the Turkish democratization.

German Politician: Turkey like Nazi Germany after Reichstag

FDP leader Christian Lindner said he saw parallels between Erdogan’s behavior and the aftermath of the Reichstag fire in 1933 portrayed by the Nazis as a Communist plot against the government and used by Adolf Hitler to justify massively curtailing civil liberties. “We are experiencing a coup d’etat from above like in 1933 after the Reichstag fire. He is building an authoritarian regime tailored solely to himself,” Lindner said.

Albanian president to Erdoğan: Turkish schools pose no threat

In the latest round of a debate surrounding the Turkish schools in Albania, President Bujar Nishani dismissed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s request to shut schools down because of their links to the faith-based Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Erdogan targets Hizmet inspired schools on Africa visit

The Gülen Movement: Paradigms, Projects and Aspirations

Erdoğanist Turks Target Inter-Cultural Dialogue Activities Of Gülen Followers In Germany

Gov’t bid to close Turkish schools draws ire

‘I admire Fethullah Gulen’s vision of a world that’s different from the one we have’

WSJ, Judiciary, Gulen Movement, and the Government

The era of dialogue will never be over

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News