Gulen sympathizer stabbed by pro-Erdogan relative in Belgium


Date posted: July 6, 2017

Ibrahim Anaz, one of the executives at a Brussels-based association sympathetic to the Gulen movement, was stabbed by a family member who is a supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to local media.

Anaz was stabbed and seriously wounded by one of his in-laws during a dispute in Merksem district on Wednesday.

Police told media that the incident came just after a political discussion and Anaz’s lawyer said the attacker was not directly involved in the conversation. “The victim received two stab wounds in the arm and hand,” police added.

Anaz, who was taken to a hospital in a neighboring city, works as one of the spokespersons for FEDACTIO [Federatie van Actieve Verenigingen van België], an umbrella organization with member associations all over Belgium.

Established with the aim of cultural integration between Belgium and Turkey in 2010, FEDACTIO was attacked by Erdogan supporters also in the very aftermath of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, for which the Turkish government pinned the blame on the Gulen movement. FEDACTIO’s premises were damaged by stones thrown by pro-Erdogan youngsters back then.

Daily Sabah, a pro-government English-language Turkish daily said on July 5 that FEDACTIO “acts as an umbrella organization for FETÖ in Belgium.”

FETO is a derogatory buzzword coined by Erdogan who calls the movement as Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, a clear reference to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric who inspires the movement.

Cem Küçük, a staunchly pro-government journalist known for his attacks on government critics on social media, earlier suggested that Turkish government supporters living overseas were willing to carry out the assassinations and that the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has the authority to carry out such acts outside the country.

Turkish government has already detained more than 120,000 people over links to the movement in Turkey and Erdoğan called on foreign governments to punish Gülen followers in their own countries. Only a small number of countries including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Myanmar have deported Gulen followers upon Turkey’s request so far.

Meanwhile, Turkish government has stepped up spying activities against its perceived enemies abroad, a controversial issue that was blasted by European government on multiple occasions. Germany cancelled recognition of a Turkish mosque on allegations that its imam was involved in spying activities against Gulen followers over the weekend.

Source: Turkey Purge , July 7, 2017


Related News

Former Norwegian PM: Our center takes same approach as Gülen

KADİR UYSALOĞLU, OSLO Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has said the ideas of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish-Muslim scholar, and the activities of his movement are in complete harmony with the approach of The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, which Bondevik currently heads. Bondevik yesterday paid a visit to the En Verden i […]

Why Gulen Should Not Be Extradited

To extradite Gulen would not only imply a high chance of an unfair trial, but would also sound the death knell of a blueprint for global peace. Gulen’s ideas have all the potential for a global approach to peace-building. John L. Esposito, a professor at Georgetown University and a highly respected expert on Islam, called Gulen’s initiatives “extraordinarily unique”, and suggested it would be “wise” for other Muslim movements to emulate them.

Mother of 6 under arrest as police fail to locate husband suspected of Gulen links

Meryem Senturk, a Zonguldak woman and a mother of six, was arrested after police failed to locate his husband who has been under investigation over his alleged links to the Gulen movement, on July 19.

Minister: Turkish gov’t racks up $5 bln in confiscation of Gülen-linked properties

The value of immovable properties including dormitories, real estates and schools that the government has confiscated as part of its clampdown against Gülen movement so far, totals around TL 15 billion or $4.9 billion, according to Environment and Urban Planning Minister Mehmet Özhaseki.

Cancer patient arrested over Gülen links shortly after surgery

A woman in the southern Turkish province of Antalya who underwent surgery a month ago has been arrested on terrorism charges due to her alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Human rights group urges foreign gov’ts to ensure safety of Gülen followers

Virginia-based human rights organization Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST) in a piece on HuffPost has called on foreign governments to ensure the safety of participants of the Gülen, or Hizmet, movement.

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

Ayse Bohurler says International Herald Tribune misquoted remarks on Gülen movement

Syrian Refugees Relief Campaign

‘Parallel’ paranoia reaches the kitchen of Parliament

Power struggle for the state or deep rift about Turkey?

Ministry allegedly profiled students of dershanes close to Hizmet

Bias about Gulen Movement in light of The Economist column

Bank Asya shares surge after Turkish election results

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News