Five pilots who bombed coup base on July 15 arrested over Gulen links

Date posted: July 18, 2017

Five pilots who bombed the Akincilar Air Base in Ankara to halt the coup attempt on the night of July 15, 2016, were later arrested as part of an investigation into the Gulen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the takeover attempt, a former military officer said.

Ahmet Zeki Ucok, a retired military prosecutor told CNN Turk TV channel on Saturday that the five pilots who bombed the Akincilar Air Base, the alleged headquarters of the coup attempt at 4.30 in the morning, have been arrested on accusation of membership to the movement.

Earlier, Ekrem Türk, a 34-year old police officer who fought to prevent the advance of army tanks in Turkish capital on July 15, 2016 was also rounded up over Gulen links.

Tags: Military coups in Turkey | Persecution of Hizmet by Erdogan | Turkey |

Related News

In Erdogan regime western-oriented intellectuals, bureaucrats, liberals, Kurds, civil society activists in mortal danger

Those in prison—educated, Western-oriented intellectuals and bureaucrats, liberals, Kurds, civil society activists, and supporters of exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen—are in mortal danger. When blood flows from the prisons, it will be no accident nor should anyone believe Erdogan’s security forces were simply reacting to a crisis.

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on New Defamation Efforts by Erdogan Regime

I also condemn President Erdogan’s reckless and immoral efforts to defame this peaceful movement that has dedicated itself to universal humanitarian values. I trust in the wisdom and fairness of world leaders to recognize this defamation campaign for what it is.

PM Erdoğan increases intensity of hate speech against Hizmet movement

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has increased the intensity of his hate speech against the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, calling on people not to attend the movement’s schools or exam preparatory courses and not to buy newspapers close to the movement.

Family, friends losing hope as Calgary imam arrested in Turkey remains imprisoned

For a year, Calgary imam Davud Hanci has spent most of his days in solitary confinement in Turkey, accused of being a terrorist linked to failed 2016 coup attempt. “They’re just holding him there and they don’t want to release him because they don’t have any real evidence,” said Malik Muradov, executive director of Calgary’s Intercultural Dialogue Institute and a friend of Hanci.

Financial Times: Turkey’s crackdown on dissent has gone too far

More troubling is evidence emerging that his government is now using the attempted coup as a pretext to round up all manner of troublesome opponents, not just the Gulenists. It is also damaging the fabric of Turkish society and undermining its institutions, including the security forces. That is a dangerous move in a country whose immune system is already weakened by jihadism and which is battling armed opponents on several fronts.

Bank Asya seeks immediate return of ‘hijacked’ management rights

Turkey’s largest Islamic lender, Bank Asya, is demanding that the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) return the bank’s rights to control its management following strong indications that the fund’s decision on Tuesday to take over control of the lender’s board has no legal basis and is politically motivated.