Anonymous witnesses fail to identify suspects they earlier tipped off as Gulenist


Date posted: November 10, 2017

An anonymous witness in Denizli failed to identify any of the 145 suspects, earlier accused of being followers of the Gulen movement, during a court hearing on Oct. 30.

The secret witness, called Aslan, told during the court appearance that he doesn’t know the suspects by name but that he is sure about their affiliations to the movement.

“If you tell me all the names, I will tell you the ones that I knew,” Aslan said.

The judge in charge loudly read the names, however Aslan did not remember any of them. The judge asked: “Did you tip off about some names during your statement to the prosecutor, is that right?” and Aslan responded positively.

Another witness, named as Battal, said he knew only two of the suspects. “I have known M.C.P. for long. I have never seen him attending to gatherings by the terrorist organization. And about T.I., I know him as a follower of the F..O who attended their gatherings and volunteered as a host in some events organized by them. I saw him attending to those gatherings for many times,” he said.

145 suspects in Denizli, mostly businessmen, are accused of links to the movement, which the government blames for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt and considers a terrorist organization. 79 of those suspects were remanded in prison pending trial while the remaining are subject to trial without arrest.

The movement denies role in the failed takeover and terror accusations.

Already jailed more than 55,000 people over Gulen links, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier called on citizens to report Gulenists to police whenever they see one. Friends, colleagues and even spouses are reporting each other to law enforcement in Turkey as polarization in the society has intensified since the July 15 coup attempt. In one occasion, a man in a small Aegean district of Turkey turned his girlfriend in to the police, alleging she is a Gülen movement sympathizer, after his proposal of marriage was rejected.

 

 

Source: Turkey Purge , November 2, 2017

Tags: | | |


Related News

Purge-victim businessman dies of cancer days after being released from prison

Engin Erol, 41, a Turkish businessman who was jailed three years ago on allegations of membership in the Gülen group, died on Thursday evening in a hospital from cancer, which was not treated properly in the prison where he was held until the last stage of his illness.

Bank Asya says it weathers ‘stress test’, still strong

Turkish media say state-owned companies and institutional depositors loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have withdrawn TL 4 billion ($1.79 billion), some 20 percent of the bank’s total deposits, over the last month to try to sink the lender. The government has declined to comment. Bank Asya’s chief executive Ahmet Beyaz said the bank’s founders included sympathizers of cleric Fethullah Gülen, who officials say is behind the corruption investigation posing one of the biggest challenges to Erdoğan’s 11-year rule. But he said the bank was not at risk.

Money trail in corruption case

The fact that the government practically stalled the investigation with a major reshuffle of the judiciary, police, watchdog agencies that track money, and finance and banking activities, while pushing emergency laws through Parliament to prevent further investigations and leaks, casts a shadow on how far the Erdoğan government had gone in these dirty deals.

Observers: Charging Zaman’s editor-in-chief based on 2 columns, 1 report is ‘unlawful nonsense’

Charging Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı for a crime based on two columns and one report published in his paper is “unlawful nonsense,” according to intellectuals and politicians observing the government-backed media crackdown in which the editor was detained.

Central bank data disprove interior minister’s rigging claims

Ala’s remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Bank Asya, a participation bank affiliated with the Hizmet movement, which the government has tried to scapegoat through conspiracy theories to evade corruption allegations. Some news stories broke soon after Ala’s claims, reporting that Bank Asya’s accounts were being scrutinized for misconduct.

Threats and fear used to intimidate business world

In one of the eastern provinces, members of a business association believed to be close to the Hizmet movement, a CSO, were visited by the managers of another association that the government seeks to promote. They were told that a police operation might be launched against their association and that they would face serious tax audits and commercial problems if they continued their membership in their current association.

Latest News

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

After Reunion: A Quiet Transformation Within the Hizmet Movement

Erdogan’s Failed Crusade: The World Rejects His War on Hizmet

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

In Case You Missed It

‘I feel like I have been buried alive’: families live in fear and isolation as Erdoğan leads a witch-hunt

Post-Kemalist Turkey and the Gülen Movement

Kurdistan Regional Gov’t: Gulen-inspired schools will not be closed

Kimse Yok Mu offers much-needed help in Gaza

Better late than never: Gülen’s Kurdish education initiative

Today’s Zaman offers condolences to families of mine victims

A new book: Fethullah Gulen and The Gulen Movement in 100 Questions

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News