Over 30 Turkish diplomats, families seek asylum in Germany

This file photo shows the entrance to the Turkish Foreign Ministry building in Ankara.
This file photo shows the entrance to the Turkish Foreign Ministry building in Ankara.


Date posted: October 25, 2016

Nearly three dozen Turkish diplomats and family members have claimed asylum in Germany over alleged affiliation to the network of US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, whom the government in Ankara claims to have masterminded the failed July 15 coup attempt.

German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth announced on Monday that 35 Turkish diplomatic passport holders have formally applied for asylum.

He, however, did not provide any information about the asylum seekers’ identities, positions or status of their applications.

Dimroth noted that the actual figure of the asylum seekers could be higher since diplomatic status is not generally part of the application.

The report comes as the Turkish Foreign Ministry recalled hundreds of diplomats in the wake of the botched putsch in the country.

Turkish authorities arrested Gurcan Balik (shown below), who served as the chief advisor to former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during the latter’s tenure as foreign minister, on August 18 for suspected links to the Gulen movement.

On the same day, Tuncay Babali, a former ambassador to Canada, and Ali Findik, a former ambassador to Costa Rica, were detained in the Turkish capital city of Ankara on the same charges.

Turkish nationwide television news channel NTV, citing Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, reported on Sunday that security forces have arrested more than 35,000 people over alleged links to Gulen movement.

Bozdag went on to say that Turkey’s government is going to arrest another 3,907 individuals.

The senior Turkish official noted that some 82,000 people have so far been investigated in connection with the failed coup, and tens of thousands of them been suspended, dismissed or jailed.

Detained Turkish soldiers arrive with their hands bound behind their backs at the Istanbul Justice Palace (Adalet Sarayi), July 20, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

A section of the Turkish military declared itself in charge of the country on the night of July 15. Renegade military personnel made use of battle tanks and helicopters to fight loyalists to the incumbent government in Ankara and Istanbul.

The coup attempt was later extinguished as tens of thousands of people flooded streets across Turkey to support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party.

At least 246 people lost their lives and more than 2,100 others sustained injuries in the botched putsch.

The 75-year-old Gulen has censured the coup attempt and strongly denied any involvement in the violence.

Source: Presss TV , Oct 20, 20164


Related News

Turkey introduces new decree law to seize all Gulen-related companies

Thanks to a new decree law released as part of the state of emergency declared late on July 20 following a failed coup, Turkey’s government is now set to seize all the Turkish companies owned by businessmen somehow linked to the US-based Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Gülen speaks to Kurdish paper, renews his support for education in mother tongue

Well-known Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has voiced strong support for education in one’s mother tongue, in reference to allowing the use of Kurdish in education in Turkey, and said basic human rights and freedoms could not be the object of any political bargaining as they are the natural rights of human beings. Speaking to […]

Normalization of Abduction, Torture, and Death in Erdogan’s Turkey

Abductions, forceful disappearances, tortures, and political target killings have always been among the burning human rights violations in Turkey; however, they skyrocketed during Erdogan’s rule and especially after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Turkey should compensate abused Nigerian students

The recent unjustified arrest, detention, traumatization and subsequent release of 50 Nigerian students in Turkey by that country’s government must rank as a most unfortunate low in the Nigerian – Turkish relations. Seen in context, it constitutes an instance of unjustified victimization of innocent foreigners, out of misplaced grudge by a government that had no cause for such act of indiscretion.

Bank Asya says raising capital, set for growth

“Bank Asya expects to raise its total capital by TL 300 million to TL 1.2 billion. … We sold an 18 percent stake in the retail chain A101 as part of this plan,” the bank said. Bank Asya said its capital adequacy ratio is 14.8 percent — well above the conventionally accepted minimum level of 12 percent — and that it expects to enjoy further growth in 2014. The bank said it expects the capital adequacy ratio to reach 17 percent, making it one of the five strongest (in capital) banks in Turkey. Previously, the bank held 21.84 percent of the shares in A101.

Erdoğan’s Baku visit will not close Hizmet schools

Heydar Aliyev, an experienced and far-sighted politician, always supported these schools and we cannot say that the decisions to open the doors of the country to these schools was of no benefit. The schools have for years maintained the trust of the government because they are integrated with Azerbaijani society and its values. To think that the schools opened with blessings of Heydar Aliyev will be shut down by his son İlham Aliyev would be naïve.

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

Gülen, Erdoğan’s new agenda item with the West

Gülen movement makes Turkey more noticeable

Will Gülen Movement schools offer Kurdish-medium education?

Fethullah Gulen Statement on ISIS

CHP deputy calls Erdoğan’s order to bring down Hizmet ‘crime’

A private Turkish university opens in northern Iraq

Victims of forced disappearance in Turkey

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News