London-Based Turkish Academic To Run 10,000 Meters To Raise Fund For Purge Victims In Turkey


Date posted: June 29, 2017

İsmail Sezgin, a London-based Turkish academic has tweeted on Tuesday that he will run a total of 10,000 meters in support of the families hit by an ongoing purge by the Turkish government since a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Releasing a statement on moneygiving.com, Sezgin said that he aims at raising a fund of 10 thousand pounds to help purge-victim families in Turkey.

Stating that Turkish people are living through a very difficult period Sezgin said that “A vicious coup attempt has victimized thousands of people so far; 249 people died on the night, many children became orphans; Thousands of civil servants have been purged. Teachers, judges, doctors, engineers and police officiers are the main victims. Their families are in dire situations; More than 50 thousand people are arrested, most have not been to court yet but their families are struggling to survive outside without any income. We are aiming to raise ten thousand pounds to help remedy some of the tragedies in Turkey. Please donate generously.”

Turkey survived a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed over 240 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.

Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting participants of the Gülen movement in jails.

At least 161,751 people were detained or investigated and 50,334 people were arrested in Turkey in the framework of the Turkish government’s massive post-coup witch hunt campaign targeting alleged members of the Gülen movement since the controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016, according to statistics reported by state-run Anadolu news agency by basing on information taken from the officials from Turkey’s Justice Minsitry on June 13.

Source: Stockholm Center for Freedom , June 28, 2017

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Fethullah Gulen and February 28th Military Coup

Nazli Ilicak, March 3, 2012 While February 28th is debated these days, a notion has been created as if Gulen was collaborating with “post modern coup.” In fact, Gulen in his interview on Channel-D on April 17,1997 asked Refahyol government to resign. However, these words were spoken in order to reduce the tension in the […]

Scapegoating: Turkish PM again blames Gülen movement for worsening economy

As the Turkish lira plunged even further on Friday, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım claimed the Gülen movement was responsible for the deterioration in the country’s economic outlook. According to Yıldırım, “separatists” and sympathizers of the Gülen movement are working hard to ruin the Turkish economy in the eyes of the world.

Gülen denies attempting to axe peace process

The lawyer of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly denied claims made by the former chairman of the banned pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) who alleged in a television interview Monday evening that Fethullah Gülen defames, slanders, and obstructs people who support the peace process

Kimse Yok Mu chair Cingöz: Everyone feels some type of oppression in Turkey

Kimse Yok Mu was designated a nongovernmental organization in March 2002. It had started its work following a devastating earthquake in Turkey in August 1999. Kimse Yok Mu now reaches out to different regions of the world affected by catastrophes. It is officially recognized by Turkey as an association that works for “public interest.”

NGO: plot to take over Turkish schools will fail in Africa

Mrs. Osuji said Hizmet Movement schools, otherwise known as Turkish schools, are contributing to the development of education in Nigeria and other African countries. She urged African governments to resist any plot by the Turkish government to undermine their sovereignties and respectability by accepting its disguised order to hand over the Turkish schools to Maarif Foundation.

Pro-Erdoğan journalist: Gülen followers should be kept in detention camps, given food tickets

Cemil Barlas, a staunch supporter of Tayyip Erdoğan and commentator for the pro-government A Haber TV, said during a program that followers of the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of being behind a failed coup on July 15, must be kept in detention camps and should be given food tickets.

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

Turkish Cultural Center holds friendship dinner

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Students from Turkish Schools in Thailand Visited the Minister of Trade at His Home

MHP asks gov’t how many state officials reassigned after graft scandal

‘Nigeria Moving Towards Peaceful, Happy Future’

Post-coup purge victim says he may never be a father due to torture in prison

Fethullah Gulen sends his condolences to victims of Boston bombings

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News