Alleged Gülen sympathizers in prison banned from communication with outside world


Date posted: October 17, 2016

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prohibited individuals in Silivri Prison who are currently under arrest over their alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement from communicating with the outside world during an ongoing state of emergency, the Sözcü daily reported on Monday.

A three-month-long state of emergency went into effect in Turkey following a failed military coup attempt on July 15. Earlier this month, the government extended the duration of the state of emergency for another three months.

According to Sözcü, alleged followers of the Gülen movement in Silivri Prison will not be allowed to write letters or send faxes during the state of emergency based on a decision by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The prosecutor’s office’s move comes at a time when dozens of reports about maltreatment and torture inflicted on individuals who were arrested due to their alleged links to the Gülen movement are emerging from prisons.

A reporter from the now-closed-down Zaman daily, Ayşenur Parıldak, who is among thousands of people arrested in the post-coup crackdown, recently sent a letter from prison to the Cumhuriyet daily. In the letter Parıldak said she has been subjected to physical violence and sexual harassment while under detention.

Turkey experienced a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement despite the lack of any evidence.

The Gülen movement strongly denies having any role in the putsch.

Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, called for an international investigation into the coup attempt, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.

More than 100,000 people have been purged from state bodies and 34,000 arrested since the coup attempt. Arrestees include journalists, judges, prosecutors, police and military officers, academics, governors and even a comedian.

Source: Turkish Minute , October 17, 2016


Related News

Opposition condemns Erdoğan’s vindictive remarks against Gülen movement

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s televised remarks on Wednesday night suggesting that the witch hunt against members of Gülen movement will show no sign of abating under the new government has drawn condemnation from opposition political parties.

Votes of religious orders and communities [in Turkey]

The three-week debate between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Fethullah Gülen had a long past that falls under this category. Although the AK Party is powerful, the Gülen movement is not a piece of cake it can swallow easily. The AK Party is a political party that keeps its members together using the power and interests available to a ruling party. The Gülen movement, on the other hand, is an army of volunteers.

Turkish Martyrs Day: Rumi Forum marks heroics of Turk soldiers

Pakistan and Turkey are two time-tested brotherly countries and the history of Turks is of great pride to Pakistanis. These were the remarks of Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum at an event regarding 101st commemoration of Turkish Martyrs Day and Canakkale Victory.

Prof. Tures: Erdogan’s policies threaten Turkey

Followers of this liberal U.S.-based cleric, Gulen, were scapegoated for the July 2016 coup. Tens of thousands of police officers and security officials were fired and even arrested, simply for being followers of Gulen, an opponent of ISIS. The Turkish President seems willing to blame everyone but ISIS, or even offer much of an anti-ISIS campaign.

Mother of three arrested with baby as police fail to locate teacher husband

A mother of three in the western province of Izmir, Fadime Danışman was arrested along with her 8-month-old baby after police failed to locate her husband, a teacher by profession, as part of an investigation into the Gülen movement.

Gulen turns coup accusations on Erdogan

Fethullah Gulen, the man blamed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of orchestrating the attempted military coup that rocked Turkey, has tried to turn the accusation against his political rival by suggesting that Mr Erdogan’s ruling AKP party had staged the uprising.

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

Kimse Yok Mu reaches out to tribe in Panama

Gülen Movement has been used to undermine Ergenekon trial

Turkey’s Koç: I met with Gülen; there is nothing wrong with that

Turkey’s Erdogan and July 15 coup

Dedicated couples teaching Turkish to the world

Gulen Followers Living in Europe Receive Death Threats, Feel Intimidated

Al Arabiya: Gulen confident US will not extradite him

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News