Russian envoy’s murderer attended sermons of controversial pro-Erdoğan cleric


Date posted: December 25, 2016

While the Turkish government insists on claiming that Mert Altıntaş, the police officer who assassinated the Russian ambassador to Ankara, is linked to the Gülen movement, it has been discovered that the gunman attended the sermons of Nurettin Yıldız, a staunch supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Hürriyet daily reported on Saturday that police officer Altıntaş, who shouted al Nusra Front slogans after shooting the Russian ambassador in an art gallery on Monday, attended the sermons of Yıldız at Ankara’s Hacı Bayram Mosque.

Yıldız, the president of the Social Fabric Foundation (Sosyal Doku Vakfı), had sparked a public reaction after he argued that marrying a 6-year-old girl is legitimate. In addition to this remark that caused outrage, Yıldız also said it is a sin to watch a woman news anchor on TV and that women should be grateful to be beaten.

In an interview with the state-owned Anadolu news agency, Yıldız voiced support for Erdoğan, saying that it was a requirement of his faith to support the president.

Minister of Interior Affairs Süleyman Soylu, however, claimed on Saturday that the murderer is linked to the Gülen movement and that the radical Islamist clues in his life were efforts to disguise his links to the movement, which is known for its promotion of interfaith dialogue and is frowned upon by Islamists for those efforts.

Source: Turkish Minute , December 24, 2016


Related News

How hateful discourse manipulates our perception

Claims have been made that these multi-billion-dollar deals have generated a huge hoard of funds for Erdoğan to buy off some media outlets through proxies, hire new sets of journalists to defend his government line and even convert critical analysts with fat checks to prod them to the other side of the aisle. And these claims also explain why some media groups are conducting black propaganda against the Hizmet movement.

Congratulations to Fethullah Gulen and Izzettin Dogan

Taha Akyol The foundation of a social and cultural center comprising a mosque and cemevi in the same complex has been laid in Mamak district of Ankara. The mosque and cemevi will rise side by side in the complex on a land of approximately 35,000 ft2. The complex will consist of dede (socio-religious leader of […]

Documents expose plot to hold Hizmet responsible for KPSS cheating

The Zaman daily has published documents which reveal that a plot was devised to unjustly hold the members of the Hizmet Movement responsible for a cheating scandal at the State Personnel Examination (KPSS) in 2010.

Jurist’s report highlighting illegality of Karaca’s arrest submitted to top court

Lawyers representing journalist Hidayet Karaca, who remains in prison despite a ruling for his release, have submitted a report drafted by a prominent jurist to the Constitutional Court in which the unlawfulness of Karaca’s arrest was highlighted.

Peshawar High Court halts government order to deport Pak-Turk school staff

Petitioner counsel Qazi Muhammad Anwar argued that all the Turkish teachers are very peaceful people who have committed no crime in Turkey as well as here in Pakistan.” He prayed the bench to suspend the federal government’s notice and stop deportation of the Turkish teachers and their families. The bench accepted the request and restrained the deportation of Pak-Turk schools’ staff.

Ex-diplomats detained over Gülen links subjected to severe torture, says deputy

Some 20 former employees of the Turkish Foreign Ministry who were among 100 detained last week are being subjected to heavy torture, according to claims raised by a member of the Turkish Parliament.

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’s lawyer files lawsuit over unlawful police probe into Hizmet

The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*

Flynn’s Turkish [and Erdogan] Connection

Boat carrying Turkish asylum seekers capsizes off Greece, killing 3 children and 3 others

Fethullah Gulen: ISIL Actions, Disgrace to Faith

The İmralı peace process and defaming the Hizmet movement

Erdogan’s purges reach heart of Europe as Gulenists in Germany say they are being spied on

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News