Police officer reassigned for attending dershane picnic
Date posted: April 29, 2014
ANKARA
The Interior Ministry has reassigned police officer H.D., who worked at the National Police Department’s Anti-terrorism Unit in Ankara, on the grounds that he and his child attended a picnic organized by a dershane (private preparatory school) affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement.Since a major corruption and bribery investigation implicating a number of top government officials went public on Dec. 17, thousands of police officers have been reassigned or removed from their posts because of alleged links to the Hizmet movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The government and circles close to it have accused the movement of being behind of the corruption probe.
In Ankara, H.D. was reassigned allegedly because his child was attending a Hizmet-affiliated exam preparatory school and because he attended a picnic that was organized by the school. When a high-ranking police officer opposed the reassignment of H.D. and asked the deputy director of the Counterterrorism Unit why he was among the officers supposed to be reassigned, the deputy director allegedly responded that H.D. was reassigned because his child was a student at a school affiliated with the Hizmet movement and because the officer himself attended a school picnic.
In addition to thousands of police officers, the government has replaced the prosecutors who initiated the probe as well as others working for public prosecutors’ offices and dozens of officials at various state institutions.
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Following a recent coup attempt, more than 100,000 people were arrested and dismissed from their jobs in the Republic of Turkey. Turkey is also the world’s largest jailer of journalists; 300+ are now behind bars. Our guest is an expert on these and related matters — Vonya Womack
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I hope that those who set their hearts on a cause will not loosen their hands about working on the world solidarity and universal human values, and they will continue on their way. I hope they do not get shaken by such storms, with Allah’s permission and help. Just like all the things happened until today had passed and became history, these latest incidents will pass and become history, with Allah’s permission.
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