Men accused of attempting to rape 6 teachers: We thought they were Gulenists


Date posted: February 17, 2017

Three suspects accused of attempting to rape 6 female teachers in İzmir have told a court they “wanted to force” the teachers to leave the town because they thought that the victims had links to the Gulen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt.

The suspects are being tried at an İzmir criminal court and face up to 20 years jail time on charges of “causing damage to property” and “sexual harassment.”

According to CNN Turk news portal, the three man identified with initials Y.I., M.A., M.B., came to the house where the teachers — S.C. (39), İ.P. (26), B.D. (26), E.Ş. (40), F.Ö. (66) and B.Ö. (26) – were staying in and started kicking the door and threatened the women to let them in. The suspects reportedly fled after H.Y., a villager, approached the house upon hearing calls for help from the victims.

Even though the incident took place weeks before the coup attempt the suspects said in their defense that they thought that the teachers were Gulenists and thereby wanted to dismiss them from the town.

“We were drunk and we do not remember much. We did not engage in any kind of verbal harassment. Maybe we did. We were drunk so we do not remember. We just threw stones to drive them out of town. Because we thought they were Gulenists”, the suspects said.

Source: Turkey Purge , February 17, 2017


Related News

CHP: Anti-Hizmet ops were part of agreement between Erdoğan, military

Main opposition Republican People’s Democratic Party (CHP) İstanbul deputy Barış Yarkadaş has said the release of suspects in the historic Ergenekon trial and the government-initiated operations against the Hizmet movement were part of an agreement between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish military.

Turkish ambassador draws ire as she implies Gülen-affiliated schools in Macedonia raise terrorists

Turkish Ambassador to Macedonia Tülin Betül Kara, has drawn ire following she made remarks last week that shocked the country about schools linked to the faith-based Gülen movement operating there, implying that they were raising students to be terrorists.

Fethullah Gulen: Erdogan is not Fit to be President

Legal experts discussed Erdogan’s eligibility to serve as president, because of questions about his college education. Other have questioned the fairness of the elections and there are allegations of electoral fraud. But aside from this, if the Turkish people elect a shepherd as their leader, I respect their choice. But personally I don’t see Erdogan is fit to be president.

Tears and sadness as Turkish people pack up to leave Pakistan

“I know I can’t do anything to persuade the federal government to take back its decision of expelling the Turkish teachers and their families from the country,” a senior Pakistani teacher told PTI. “I must say last Friday was the saddest day in our campus in Lahore as all Turkish students were literally crying,” she said.

Probe launched into daily Taraf for attempting to cause chaos

The complaint was based on the content of newspaper articles written by Yıldıray Oğur, Ali Karahasanoğlu, Alper Görmüş and Cem Küçük that are being used by the plaintiff as evidence of Taraf’s “crimes.”

Virginians Deliver 114,000 Pounds of Winter Warmth to Refugees in Turkey

Local governments working with volunteers from religious groups and private business in Virginia delivered more than 72 tons of coats and blankets this winter to Syrian refugees in Turkey. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, made up of 14 local governments in the Washington, DC suburbs, has been coordinating the coat and blanket drive for each of the last three winters.

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

Fethullah Gulen’s Message of Condolences for Victims of Terrorist Attack at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport

Princeton professor accuses Gulen of orchestrating Turkish coup, Harvard professor disagrees

Review of Walter Wagner’s Beginnings and Endings: Fethullah Gulen’s Vision for Today’s World

Georgia: MEP Rebecca Harms on Asylum for Cabuk

Erdoğan government opposes democratic values: detained Turkish journalist

The Coup Attempt – Turkey’s Reichstag Fire

Reflections on my first trip to TÜRKIYE

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News