Judge suffering cancer jailed in Kocaeli, wife under detention in Tokat
Date posted: July 25, 2017
Mustafa Babayiğit, a Turkish judge who reportedly suffers from thyroid cancer, has been sent to jail by a Kocaeli court, while his wife, Songül Babayiğit who is also a judge, has been held in custody in Tokat.
The judge couple is accused of having links to Turkey’s Gülen group, which the Turkish government accuses of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
The group denies any involvement.
Both Mustafa and Songül Babayiğit were previously dismissed from profession with decrees issued by the Turkish government after the coup attempt.
The purged judges have reportedly two kids.
Turkey survived a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed over 240 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
At least 120, 117 people were detained or investigated and 56,114 people were arrested, according to statistics reported by the Turkeypurge.com
In Turkey, how Germany’s president became ‘Germany’s imam’
The Gulen movement is primarily a civil society organization, consisting of thousands of teachers, academics, journalists, businessmen and charitable workers. A political attack against their legitimate services and institutions would be disastrous for rule of law and societal peace, both of which have already been seriously compromised in Turkey.
Medialog calls for law against hate speech and crime [in Turkey]
In a two-day conference on hate speech and hate crime organized by Medialog (a platform under Journalist and Writers Foundation) in İstanbul, leading journalists and academics urged the government to draft a law against defamation, blasphemy and discrimination while protecting the freedom of expression.
Parents criticize gov’t-led police raids on educational institutions
A number of parents staged a protest on Friday against raids police carried out by the police on Thursday as part of a government-led operation against 26 private schools and educational institutions in Kahramanmaraş province that are inspired by the Gülen movement, a faith-based civil society movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Why Erdoğan exploits anti-American sentiments
With dangerous and discriminatory language, PM Erdoğan exploits anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment in Turkish society to demonize his opponents. Can Erdoğan win this game? If Erdoğan were confident enough about the corruption case, maybe he could. Instead of letting justice run its proper course, he used his political power to intervene in the judiciary and police forces. This must be considered the most important indicator of his fall.
Çağlayan: TUSKON Trade Bridge soon to be global brand
Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan said Tuesday that the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists’ (TUSKON) Turkey-World Trade Bridge summit, which opened its doors to visitors from around the world on Wednesday, is on its way to becoming a global brand as it gets better every year. Çağlayan said the event has been attracting larger crowds […]
Kazakh leader heads to Turkey to explain decision over Gulen schools
The official announcement did not provide any details about the visit, but Nazarbayev is expected to smooth over any disagreements between the two Turkic countries following the failed coup. The Kazakh-Turkish schools employ 1,124 teachers, of whom 1,030 are Kazakh citizens (91.7%) and 94 are Turkish citizens (8.3%).” Kazakhstan also has the Suleyman Demirel University, opened in Almaty in 1996.
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
Dialogue Institute provides insight in Kansas City area on Turkey
17,000 women, 515 babies in Turkish prisons: SCF report
Global event held to foster harmony
THY’s Topçu defends embargo on papers, defamation campaign
Self-criticism by the Hizmet movement
Prominent columnist Bağdat slams persecution of Hizmet
Turkish aid group sending rescue team and disaster relief to Nepal
