Suspicious deaths, suicides become common occurrence in post-coup Turkey


Date posted: September 20, 2016

The number of people who die in suspicious circumstances after being linked to the July 15 coup attempt has been rising with every passing day, a systematic occurrence that is casting a shadow over official statements pointing to suicide.

The government accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the coup attempt, while the movement denies involvement, condemning any intervention into democratically elected administrations. The government has detained 43,000 people and arrested 24,000 over their alleged links to the movement.

At least 14 people have reportedly committed suicide either after they were imprisoned over ties to the movement or after being linked to the movement outside prison. The relatives of most of them claim that the detainees are not the kind of people to commit suicide, shedding doubt on the official narrative. Rumours also have it that some of the detainees were killed after being subjected to torture under custody.

Below are details of suspicious deaths in the aftermath of the coup attempt.

  1. Ömer Ç. a prison guard who was arrested over alleged links to the Gülen movement, was found dead in a jail in the western province of İzmir on Sept. 1. No statement was released regarding the cause of Ömer Ç.’s death. 
  2. A 47-year-old public prosecutor who was recently put behind bars in the western province of Bursa as part of an ongoing witch-hunt against the Gülen movement was found hanging in the prison bathroom on Sept. 16. Seyfettin Yiğit was among those prosecutors who oversaw an investigation into allegations of irregularities within the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) in late 2013, a landmark year when widespread graft allegations implicating four Cabinet ministers and a son of then-PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were revealed.
  3. Gökhan Açıkkollu, a history teacher detained as part of operations against the movement, died after he reportedly felt faint in İstanbul’s Ümraniye Prison, on Aug. 5.
  4. Col. İsmail Çakmak, who was arrested in the aftermath of the coup attempt, was found dead in Silivri Prison on July 23. Çakmak was discovered hanging by his bed covers in the stairwell of the prison.
  5. Necmi Akman, the provincial governor of Manisa’s Ahmetli district, committed suicide two days after he was suspended over links to the movement, on July 18.
  6. Ferhat Daş reportedly committed suicide in a military tank after he realized that the tank had been involved in the coup attempt, on July 15.
  7. An assistant professor at Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Emin Kömürcüler was denied a request for a meeting with Rector Cavit Bircan after the former was implicated in an anti-Gülen operation within the university. Kömürcüler jumped from the fourth floor of a university building.
  8. Col. Levent Önder shot himself at the command building in Siirt on July 20. A written statement from the Siirt Governor’s Office said Önder was suffering from depression as he felt guilty for failing to prevent the coup plotters.
  9. Fifty-year-old Mustafa Güneyler, who was working as an electrical and electronics engineering teacher at a public school in the Osmaneli district of Bilecik province, committed suicide at home by leaving the natural gas on before he went to bed, late on Sept 6. Güneyler was one of thousands of teachers dismissed from their jobs.
  10. Deputy Police Chief in Kırklareli Baki Pekiyi shot and killed himself after he allegedly found out that he would be detained in anti-coup probes, on July 18.
  11. The lifeless body of a kindergarten principal, Ali Derebaşı, whose wife was among thousands of teachers who have been suspended from their posts due to alleged links to the Gülen movement, was found hanging in his school in Kayseri province on Monday, the first day of the new academic year in Turkey.
  12. Deputy Chief of Police in Ankara’s Güdül district Mutlu Çil fatally shot himself after he was suspended as part of an investigation into the Gülen movement, on July 20.
  13. Col. Hasan Yücel shot and killed himself at the General Staff building on July 20. Media reported that Yücel was suffering from depression for his alleged failure in preventing the coup attempt.
  14. Deputy Chief of Police in Bartın’s Ulus district Muhammet Mertoğlu fatally shot himself after a warrant was issued for his detention over his alleged links to the movement, on July 21.

Source: Turkey Purge , September 20, 2016


Related News

Mothers meet in İstanbul to mark Mother’s Day, see their children

A mother, Vera Stamova from Moldova, expressed similar feelings. “My two children study in Turkey. My younger daughter studied in Turkish schools [in Moldova]. She received a quality education. I love Turkey and I have great confidence in Turkish people. If I had another child, I would also send her to Turkey. I miss them a lot, but they are very lucky and are taken good care of here,” she said.

Mischief-makers and the Hizmet movement

Mischief-makers continue to work hard. Every objective conscience sees that the Hizmet movement now has to struggle for its rights and to defend itself against some unjust and fallacious accusations, such as that the Hizmet movement has created a parallel state, that it is an illegal organization and that it is even a junta.

Nigeria Gives 7-Day Ultimatum to Turkish Government to Release Over 50 Nigerian Students Held in Detention

The House of Representatives on Tuesday issued a seven-day ultimatum to Turkish Government to release over 50 Nigerian students being held in detention. The House called on the federal government to urgently deploy all diplomatic options to ensure their immediate release.

Kanter: I was excluded from Turkey squad due to my beliefs

Turkish basketball player Enes Kanter, who has made no secret of his links to the Gülen movement — a civil society group also known as the Hizmet movement that is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — has stated that he has been excluded from Turkey’s basketball team for the 2015 European Basketball Championship due to his beliefs.

Turkish Charities accelerate Ramadan aid efforts worldwide

Kimse Yok Mu has raised its Turkey target for this Ramadan and will distribute 178,300 food packages and set up iftar tents in 22 provinces in a bid to feed an estimated 636,000 people. Outside of Turkey the foundation intends to distribute 110,000 food packages to families in need in 103 countries and offer iftar meals to 500,000 people around the world.

Afghan Students, families baulk at Turkey taking over schools

A number of parents of students at Afghan-Turk Schools on Saturday said at a meeting in Kabul they support the continuation of the schools in the country and do not want control to be handed over to the Turkish government.

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

Why didn’t Chuck Hagel visit Turkey?

Astana says Gulen-linked schools to remain

Military coup documents contain plans to prevent works of Hizmet movement

28th Abant Meeting “Diverse Perspectives on Turkey” to be held in February 2013

Fethullah Gulen among TIME’s “World’s 100 Most Influential People” for 2013

GYV organized peace conference at United Nation

Turkey Wants Mongolia To Shut Down Turkish Schools

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News