Return to Turkey or lose citizenship, gov’t tells Gülen followers


Date posted: October 28, 2016

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) will revoke the citizenship of followers of the faith-based Gülen movement who sought refuge abroad due to a government crackdown on alleged movement sympathizers if they do not return to Turkey within a certain period of time, the pro-government Sabah daily reported on Thursday.

In recent remarks President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: “They will flee and we will run after them no matter where they flee. Let them become citizens of the country they fled to. From now on, they will not be remembered as citizens of this country.”

The AKP government, which launched a war against the Gülen movement following the eruption of a corruption scandal in late 2013 in which senior government members were implicated, carried its ongoing crackdown on the movement and its sympathizers to a new level after a failed coup attempt on July 15 that killed 240 people and injured a thousand of others.

Although the movement strongly denies having any role in the corruption probe and the coup attempt, the government accuses it of having masterminded both despite the lack of any tangible evidence.

Thousands of people who are thought to be linked to the Gülen movement have been purged from state bodies since then while around 35,000 have been arrested so far due to alleged Gülen links. Meanwhile, thousands of people had to seek refuge in foreign countries fearing the government crackdown.

According to Sabah’s report, the government will set a deadline and ask the alleged Gülen followers abroad to return to Turkey by that deadline. If they do not return, their citizenship will be revoked.

The government will reportedly take this action under a government decree that has the force of law. A state of emergency declared in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt allows the government to issue such controversial decrees, which bypass the Parliament.

The government will later follow an established procedure and submit a proposal to Parliament concerning the revocation of the citizenship of Gülen followers. When it is approved by Parliament, the list of individuals whose citizenship has been revoked will be published in the Official Gazette, reported the Sabah daily.

Source: Turkish Minute , October 27, 2016

Tags: | | | |


Related News

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.

EU report expresses concern about purge against Gülen movement

The progress report on Turkey that was issued on Wednesday by the European Commission expressed concern over the Turkish government’s purge against Gülen movement members, saying “any allegation of wrongdoing needs to be examined with due process, transparent procedures, and the right of every individual to a fair trial or equitable administrative process should be safeguarded.”

Students of Fatih Schools take first place in LYS and TEOG exams

Students of the Fatih Schools network — which are inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement — popularly known as the Hizmet movement — were the top scorers in both the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exams taken from Nov. 26-27 and April 29-30 and the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS).

Growing Corruption Inquiry Hits Close to Turkish Leader

In building his political career, Turkey’s powerful and charismatic prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, relied heavily on the support of a Sufi mystic preacher [Fethullah Gulen] whose base of operations is now in Pennsylvania. Mr. Gulen’s followers “never approved the role the government tried to attain in the Middle East, or approved of its policy in Syria, which made everything worse, or its attitude in the Mavi Marmara crisis with Israel,” said Ali Bulac, a conservative intellectual and writer who supports Mr. Gulen.

Fethullah Gülen Reiterates No Involvement In Turkey’s Controversial Coup Attempt

US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has denied once more Turkish authorities’ accusations of masterminding a controversial coup bid in Turkey last year, in interviews with the Reuters and the US’s National Public Radio (NPR), saying he has always stood against all coups.

The Persecution of the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement in Turkey: A Chronicle

Since the outbreak of the corruption scandal in Turkey in December 2013, Prime Minister and then President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have been particularly targeting the Hizmet (Gülen) movement.

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

PM’s discourse over ‘no family, children’ offensive, hurtful

President Ellen Commends Turkish School for Commitment to Pursuing Quality Education

Fethullah Gülen: Turkey coup may have been ‘staged’ by Erdoğan regime

Turkish miner, Lonmin to explore for gold, silver in Ireland

To escape from Turkey, they told their children it was a game

Turkey’s Wrong Turn

Gülen becomes litmus test for American media

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News