Retired on disability, former bomb disposal expert kept in jail for a month over Gülen links


Date posted: January 25, 2017

Bilal Konakçı, a former bomb disposal expert for the İzmir Police Department who was retired after he lost his right hand and both eyes while trying to dispose of a bomb in 2009, was detained on Dec. 20 over links to the faith-based Gülen movement, and his wife is worried about his health as authorities refuse to allow the family to contact him.

Konakçı’s wife Özlem, in a letter to Yeni Çağ daily columnist Ahmet Takan on Tuesday, said that her husband cannot see to his daily needs as he lost two eyes and a hand in a bomb explosion, a disability that was confirmed in a state hospital report.

After 21 days in detention, Konakçı was arrested by a court in İzmir on Jan. 10 and has been kept in a prison in İzmir’s Menemen district since then.

“During his hearing on Jan. 10, lawyer who was appointed by the İzmir Bar Association didn’t come to defend my husband. After the court appointed another lawyer who had no information about his defense, he was arrested,” wife said.

Asking for Takan’s help in reaching the relevant authorities to get her husband out of prison, Özlem Konakçı said that their 13-year-old daughter doesn’t speak to anyone and their 3-year-old daughter waits for her father to return.

“I worked hard to bring my elder daughter and my husband out of depression after he lost his hand and eyes in the bomb explosion in 2009. Everything was just getting back to normal; however, he was imprisoned on allegations of things he was never involved in,” she said.

“How can a man who is blind, cannot use his hands and has difficulty walking eat and go to the toilet alone? How can he take care of his daily needs? How can he wash his clothes?” she added.

Source: Turkey Purge , January 25, 2017


Related News

Burc Schools achieve 13 medals in AMC 8

350 thousand students, in total, from 6000 schools around the world participated in this year’s AMC 8, recognized as the world’s most prestigious math contest involving middle schoolers. Among the participating Turkish schools, Adana Burc Schools’ students achieved a notable success by winning 13 medals. Turkey, South Korea, China, US, Canada, Russia and Taiwan constitute the award winning countries in the event.

Gülen’s views, concern for Kurdish problem nothing new, report shows

“No matter who does it, it is just brutality, murder and tyranny to try to achieve a goal by killing people [and] shedding blood. No beneficial goal can be achieved for humanity through the use of these tactics,” Mr. Gulen states.

Turkey seizes billions of dollars worth 691 companies over alleged ties to Gülen movement

The state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has announced that a total of 691 companies, some of whose assets are worth billions of dollars, have been seized by the government due to alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement. The government has been confiscating the private property of non-loyalist businesspeople without due process on unsubstantiated charges of terrorist links.

Gov’t profiling of individuals found unacceptable, unlawful

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK, İSTANBUL Human rights advocates and legal experts have voiced their uneasiness about claims suggesting that the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) has profiled individuals whom it believes to be followers of certain religious and faith-based groups, describing the practice as being illegitimate and a violation of human rights. According to […]

Islamic scholar Gülen calls for calm among supporters

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has called on his supporters to remain calm and be patient in the wake of rumors that Istanbul police were planning to start an operation to round up hundreds of people close to his movement. Gülen called for patience and calm among the relatives of those who are being probed or expecting probes against them, advising them to pray and read the Quran.

Turkey at the precipice

Turkey has a terror problem. The Islamic State, Kurdish extremists and radical leftists each pursue targets inside Turkey seemingly with impunity. Turkey is no stranger to terrorism, but for decades it managed to control the problem. Turkey’s security forces were efficient. Today, however, the situation has changed. Turkish President Erdogan has purged the military, the police, and intelligence professionals.

Latest News

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

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Ramadan Dinner At Kings Bay Y Celebrates Peace And Unity

Abant Platform: perspectives on Turkey

Jailed teacher dies of cancer in Turkish prison

Amir Hussain on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement

Fethullah Gülen’s Message of Condolences for the El Paso and Dayton Attacks

Hizmet Movement is not interested in attaining political power in Turkey or elsewhere in the world

Gülen’s lawyers file civil suit and criminal complaints against Prime Minister Davutoğlu

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News