Pro-gov’t daily sets up hotline for informing on Gülen followers in EU


Date posted: June 21, 2017

The pro-government Sabah daily’s Europe edition, Sabah Avrupa, has set up a telephone line for its readers to report followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, against which Turkish authorities launched a witch hunt over its alleged involvement in a failed coup last summer.

On its front page on Tuesday, Sabah Avrupa published a telephone number for its readers to call to report Gülen followers and said: “FETO report line. Traitor FETÖ members. Don’t think we have forgotten you! To our readers in Europe: Report those traitors [Gülen followers] who tyrannized you and we will uncover them.”

FETÖ is a derogatory term used by government circles to refer to the Gülen movement.

Earlier In February, German police teams raided the apartments of four Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB) imams in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate who were suspected of acting as informants. The coordinator of DİTİB, mainly supported by the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), Murat Kayman, announced his resignation over the allegations.

The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (GBA) said in a statement that the imams had acted on an order issued on Sept. 20 of last year by the directorate to profile Gülen movement sympathizers.

In December 2016, Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens announced that he had ordered security and intelligence units in the country to closely monitor mosques operated by the Diyanet amid reports that the directorate had asked imams to spy and inform on Belgians of Turkish origin suspected of being active in the faith-based Gülen movement.

Despite repeated statements by US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whose views inspired the movement, and Gülen-linked institutions abroad denying involvement in the failed coup, followers of the movement have been subjected to harassment, discrimination and even assault by pro-government people.

Several Gülen sympathizers working in Gülen-linked institutions were handed over to Turkish authorities after being detained by local police in several countries as part of the Turkish government’s witch-hunt against the Gülen movement overseas.

Source: Turkish Minute , June 21, 2017

Tags: | | |


Related News

Gulen sees rise of ‘totalitarianism’ under Erdogan’s rule

Turkey’s leaders are taking the country on a path towards totalitarianism, US-based preacher and arch-enemy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fethullah Gulen, wrote in an article published Tuesday.

Islamist daily published profiling story in 2010

The Islamist Akit daily published a story on illegal profiling conducted by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) that targeted religious groups back in 2010, long before the Taraf daily, which is currently under fire from the government for publishing similar documents, the authenticity of which have been confirmed by the government.

Extraditing Gülen: A smart move for the PM?

In the latest salvo in his battle for his political life, the Turkish prime minister has started to threaten to bring U.S.-based scholar Fetullah Gülen back to Turkey to face a possible criminal case for his alleged role in what the premier called a “civilian coup plot” attempt. In legal terms, there has been no legal investigation or arrest warrant for Gülen.

Why does Öcalan need to approach the Gülen movement?

Emre Uslu The Turkish public has recently been discussing Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan’s peace offer to the Gülen movement. Many observers saw this as a surprise step from Öcalan. Last week I had the chance to speak with both Kurdish politicians and followers of Gülen in the Southeast. Unlike widely believed rumors, […]

Arınç says Gülen’s offer to hand over prep schools ‘sacrifice’

Turkish Deputy PM Bülent Arınç has described the offer of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen to hand over prep school management to the state an example of “sacrifice” and promised that the issue of prep schools will be resolved in a way that pleases everyone. “God knows that we don’t have an ambition to manage [these prep schools]; our desire is that these services don’t become the causalities of a disagreement,” Gülen reportedly said.

ESİDEF: Targets doubled despite intimidation

Federation of the Aegean and Mediterranean Industrialists and Businesspeople (ESİDEF) President Mustafa Çelik said anti-democratic rhetoric and intimidating speeches against the business world in Turkey have motivated them to double their targets.

Latest News

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

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Gov’t pressure to shut down Turkish schools sparks outcry

Turkish imam spy affair in Germany extends across Europe

Government as a black propaganda machine

Bank Asya answers smear campaign

Farewell of Pak-Turk Teachers: Symbolic Burial of a Heart

Kimse Yok Mu and Time to Help partnership for Kobani

Dehumanize me Turkish-style — no comment

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News