Albania deports Gülen follower at Turkey’s request despite court rejection of extradition


Date posted: January 3, 2020

Albanian authorities on Wednesday deported Harun Çelik, a Turkish teacher at a school affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement in Albania, to Turkey despite a court order releasing him from his five-month incarceration over an extradition request from Ankara.

Çelik, 41, was reportedly arrested five months ago at Turkey’s request, but the court denied the extradition.

According to Bold Medya, Çelik was released from prison on Wednesday evening, when the Albanian police picked him up for transport to Tirana’s Rinas International Airport.

He had applied for asylum in the country five months ago, but officials have not yet proceeded with the request, the report said.

Turkey had previously been able to bring Gülen-affiliated individuals back home without official extradition processes in Kosovo and Moldova.

Turkish officials claim more than 100 Gülen followers have been brought back to the country since a failed 2016 coup.

Ankara accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the coup, although it strongly denies any involvement.

Source: Turkish Minute , January 1, 2020

Tags: | | | | | |


Related News

Brazilian senator impressed by Hizmet investments in education

Respected Brazilian senator and Professor Cristovam Buarque, well known for his dedication to education, told Sunday’s Zaman during a visit to İstanbul that he has been impressed by the investments of Turkish businessmen who are inspired by the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, in education even without an expectation of profit.

Prof. Weller: Hizmet [movement] accomplished bringing together oppositions in society

” Hizmet movement is very clear in its stance against political Islam. Hizmet maintains that transformation in Muslim societies come about among civil societies and an Islamic state model is no longer needed in today’s world. Regardless of individuals’ religious views and cultural background, Hizmet strongly believes the universal human right parameters and democratic principles suffice to handle people,”

Turkish PM calls for boycott of Gülen movement’s schools

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has geared up his rhetoric against the movement of U.S. based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, calling for a boycott of the movement’s schools.

Albanian parliament speaker visits Turkish school after Erdoğan calls for its closure

Albania’s Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta visited a Turkish school in the capital tirana on Friday to send a message to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called for the closure of Turkish schools in Albania during his visit last week, stirring debate among Albanian politicians and journalists, an Albanian daily wrote on Sunday.

Retired public servant under custody for distributing donations to post-coup victims

M.S. was rounded up while he was withdrawing the money allegedly transferred from Canada-based Gulen followers to his account, at a bank branch in Izmir’s Bergama district. According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the funds were raised to support post-coup prisoners and those under investigation as well as the people dismissed as part of the government crackdown and their families.

Kimse Yok Mu to launch 1000 “field schools” project in Africa

International aid organization Kimse Yok Mu is launching a new project to help improve education in Africa – KYM Field Schools. The project is about the foundation of 1000 schools for primary education of African children and submission of schools to local authorities.

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

Expert: I fear that Turkey is headed to a prolonged period of civil conflict if not civil war

Hot meals for 3 million Syrians from Kimse Yok Mu

Statement on Journalists Arrests

Erdogan presses Kyrgyzstan for action against Gulen group

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Turkish army profiled Tahşiyeciler as serving al-Qaeda

Prosecutor says he was blocked from investigating new graft probe

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News