Turkish family detained in Qatar as Erdogan steps up crackdown on Gulenists abroad

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani


Date posted: June 12, 2017

Qatari police detained five members of a Turkish family who are linked to the faith-based Gülen movement while the family was on their way to South Africa, the yenihamle.com news website reported on Monday.

The detainees are members of the Bayındır family, businessman father Muhammed, mother Fadime and daughters Eslem, Kübra and Feyza.

The members of the Turkish family were detained while they were at the airport in Doha waiting for a connecting flight to South Africa.

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 12, 2017


Related News

Opinion: Does the Turkish Intelligence Agency Plan to Abduct Turkish Dissidents from the US?

When it comes to conducting abduction operations in the U.S. soil Erdogan regime may receive help from his new allies, Russia and Iran. It is a fact that Erdogan has a deeply seeded network of Muslim institutions inside the United States.

The businessman who sits on his cell phone to avoid wiretapping

A businessman summarized it like this: “In the past, it was very important in the business community to have a meeting with Fethullah Gülen. Those going to the United States would try to get an appointment; yet today, different meanings are being attributed to these meetings. Those who in the past made sure to have these meetings publicly are now praying they do not come to the surface.”

EU Criticizes Kosovo, Turkey Over Deportation Of Six Erdogan Political Foes

The European Union on April 3 criticized Kosovo’s deportation of six Turks who were political foes of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying it “raised questions” about both Pristina’s and Ankara’s “respect” for human rights.

Turkish coup d’état: a failed test for the EU

Once the purges started, however, the game changed. The EU should oppose the purges as a symptom of an authoritarian turn and attempt of centralization of power by the ruling elite. By definition, a coup d’état is an illegal overthrow of the governing machine in place so to trigger a regime change. The response to a golpe by the ruling government should then be used as an opportunity to consolidate the power of the legitimately elected administration and give evidence of national unity.

Medialog calls for law against hate speech and crime [in Turkey]

In a two-day conference on hate speech and hate crime organized by Medialog (a platform under Journalist and Writers Foundation) in İstanbul, leading journalists and academics urged the government to draft a law against defamation, blasphemy and discrimination while protecting the freedom of expression.

Fethullah Gulen’s stance on democracy 1994-2016

Mr. Gulen has reiterated his clear stance on democracy, in the wake of the coup attempt in Turkey. Here is what he had said back in June 1994: “I believe, from now on, both in Turkey and in the rest of the world, there will we no going back from democracy.”

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

Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gulen Movement (Book Review)

Operation against the Hizmet movement soon!

Nigerian daily: Turkey at risk of becoming polarised because of Erdogan

Rumi Forum Hosts Religious Extremism Debate

‘Washington has no interest in using Gülen against AKP,’ former US envoy says

Deputies: Turkish Olympiads best response to voices against Hizmet

Kimse Yok Mu lends helping hand to 1,650 Somali families during Ramadan

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News