Azerbaijan detains Turkish teacher under UN protection as wife fears deportation


Date posted: June 10, 2017

Taci Şentürk, a Turkish teacher who was working in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, was taken by police to an unknown place after UN officials stopped his deportation to Turkey at Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport on June 7, his wife said.

In a video shared on social media, Fatma Şentürk said her husband was detained at his office by Azerbaijan police at noon on Wednesday and taken to the airport for deportation to Turkey at the Turkish government’s request since he was working for institutions linked to the faith-based Gülen movement, which Ankara accuses of masterminding a failed coup last summer.

UN officials stopped his deportation minutes before he was to be put on a plane by Azerbaijan police at the Baku airport after his family applied for UN protection for Şentürk, his wife said.

However, Azerbaijani police took Şentürk to an unknown place and his family has not been informed of his whereabouts.

“I have not heard anything from my husband for the last two days. I worry for his life,” Fatma Şentürk said.

Calling on international human rights organizations, including the European Court of Human Rights and the UN, Fatma Şentürk said “Please help us to save my husband’s life.”

This is not the first time a foreign country has detained or deported people over their links to the Gülen movement as part of the Turkish government’s witch-hunt against movement followers.

In May Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Georgia and Myanmar handed over academics, businessmen and school principals upon the Turkish government’s request despite the fact that some of those victims already had refugee status with the UN.

Turkey survived a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. After the putsch, the government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the Gülen movement of masterminding the attempt.

The movement and Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Islamic scholar whose views inspired the movement, strongly denies any involvement.

President Erdoğan earlier called on foreign governments to punish Gülen followers in their own countries.

Source: Turkish Minute , June 10, 2017


Related News

Turkey fosters strong educational ties with Iraqi Kurds

ÖZGÜR KÜÇÜK, ARBIL/IRAQ In a country that has been rocked by violent conflict for more than a decade, a Turkish-led drive to improve education in Iraq is flourishing. Ankara has not let its complicated relationship with Turkey’s Kurdish population mar its education ties with Iraqi Kurdistan, which are strong and growing more powerful every day, […]

How It Feels to Be a Dissident in Turkey After the Failed Military Coup

LOUISE CALLAGHAN To plan a speedy political exile from Turkey today, you need two things: a world map and the Wikipedia page on “visa entry requirements for Turkish citizens.” If you get out a highlighter and start cross-referencing the two, you’ll quickly see the bottom half of the map is more accessible than the top. […]

The Alliance for Shared Values Statement on Ankara Attacks

The Alliance for Shared Values deplores the bombing attacks perpetrated against peaceful protesters today in Ankara. We are deeply saddened by the increasing number of losses and injuries and offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. It is now more important than ever that we do not fall prey to the pernicious intentions behind these attacks.

Down Syndrome child accompanies mother in prison as parents jailed over Gülen links

A 22-month-old child who suffers from Down Syndrome is living in jail along with his mother after both his mother and father were imprisoned in Konya over alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, a report said on Saturday.

Power struggle for the state or deep rift about Turkey?

As an external observer, I see a profound rift having taken place between Erdoğan — more than anybody else in the AKP — and the Hizmet movement; and that has much less to do with the power struggle than a resistance to another massive, individual attempt to accumulate power in one person.What has defined Erdoğan’s way with various social segments since 2011 is to alienate, antagonize, suppress and devour. So was his pattern with the dissident Kurds, Alevis, leftists, liberals and now Hizmet.

Parents slam Pak-Turk Schools possible handover to Maarif Foundation

Parents of students of Pak-Turk schools and colleges blasted the Pakistan government for handing over the education system to a Turkish nonprofit organization called Maarif Foundation. They said that the schools and colleges would suffer if handed-over to the “poorly-equipped and infamous” Maarif Foundation.

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

‘Pak Turk Businessmen Association actively working to enhance trade with Turkey’

Turkey Regulator Demands Bank Asya Information Before Sukuks (1)

Turkey’s Deputy PM: 2.4 Pct Of Public Sector Employees Discharged Over Alleged Gülen Links

The Muslim Cleric Who Fell in Love With Democracy

Hizmet will continue its mission regardless of attacks

Ethio-Turkish businesswomen to strengthen business ties

Romania hosts 12th International Language and Culture Festival finals

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News