Teachers detained on coup charges while casting votes in referendum


Date posted: April 17, 2017

A.A. and T.D., two teachers who were earlier dismissed from their posts as part of a post-coup crackdown on the Gülen movement, were taken into custody on Sunday at a school in Malatya where they stopped to cast their votes in a referendum on a switch to an executive presidency.

Turks are voting on whether to shift from a parliamentary system of governance to an executive presidency that is expected to give sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Malatya police detained A.A. and T.D. over links to the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding a July 15 coup attempt. The movement strongly denies the accusation.

Meanwhile, E.O. a former partner of a private school that was closed down by the government after July 15 over similar charges was also taken into custody in Trabzon’s Arsin district.

Police also detained F.G. in Malatya while 4 others were taken into custody in Adana due to alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) near the polling place.

Source: Turkey Purge , April 16, 2017


Related News

Shut down schools, not tutoring facilities

The preparatory tutoring schools of the Hizmet movement perform an important sociocultural function. They serve as a barrier in the way of this destructive, postmodern culture that erases all identities. They protect our children from “filth” and endow them with moral values. If any educational institution needs shutting down, it should be the state schools.

Gülen’s lawyer: a civilian structure demonized by fictitious slurs

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen, rejected the Sabah daily’s headline story on Monday titled “Parallel Council,” saying pro-government outlets aim to distract attention from anti-government corruption assertions by making false claims about the Hizmet movement.

Celebrating Ramadan with Turkish asylum seekers

Haldun and his wife, Funda, fled Turkey about two years ago with their three daughters and are now seeking political asylum in the United States because if they go back to Turkey they face arrest and likely torture. Once a successful manufacturer of washing machine products, Haldun, Funda and their children are now a family without a country; their factory turned over to a government trustee, their passports taken away, and their property and belongings nationalized.

Rule of law(lessness) in Turkey?

It turned out that I was overly optimistic, for I did not want to believe that a prime minister who bravely fought the old, authoritarian establishment in the people’s name for years could have changed so much, adopting just the same behavior we were subjected to in the past. I had thought that those bitter experiences were only a distant memory. Unfortunately, I was wrong — terribly so.

First female chairwoman appointed at Kimse Yok Mu

The former chairman of the Kimse Yok Mu foundation, İsmail Cingöz, announced on Friday that Ayşe Özkalay will take the reins of the charity, making her the first female at the helm of the organization.

Woman gave birth while in detention, handcuffed to bed by police

A Turkish woman who was arrested when she was eight months pregnant has recently been released after giving birth while incarcerated. Turkeypurge.com reached out to the victim, who spoke about her experiences under arrest. She preferred not to reveal her identity due to concerns over Turkey’s socio-political environment.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Bank Asya faithful boost deposits after Turkey seizes lender

Twitter shouldn’t let itself become a tool for tyrants

An Experience of Co-Existence: Panel on the Example of Istanbul and Şanlıurfa

Reps urge Federal Govt to intervene in Nigerian students’ detention in Turkey

Kimse Yok Mu purchases houses for 11 Soma families

Kimse Yok Mu provides medical supplies for Haiti

Turkish PM Erdoğan’s way worries and puzzles

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News