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

Source: Turkey Purge , July 22, 2017


Related News

Frontal assault on free enterprise in Turkey: The case of prep-schools

Erdoğan fired a warning shot across the bow of the Hizmet movement, which operates some one-third of the more than 3,500 prep schools, hoping that the movement would fold under the pressure and shy away from criticizing the government on lingering corruption, the lack of bold reforms, the stalled EU membership process, the failed constitutional work, its intrusion in people’s ways of life and privacy, blunders in foreign policy and the weakened transparency and accountability in governance.

The Hizmet movement and participatory democracy

The Hizmet movement’s objections make an important contribution to the formation of participatory democracy in Turkey. So far, Turkish democracy was a game among political parties in the absence of a strong civil society and market actors.

German Politician: Turkey like Nazi Germany after Reichstag

FDP leader Christian Lindner said he saw parallels between Erdogan’s behavior and the aftermath of the Reichstag fire in 1933 portrayed by the Nazis as a Communist plot against the government and used by Adolf Hitler to justify massively curtailing civil liberties. “We are experiencing a coup d’etat from above like in 1933 after the Reichstag fire. He is building an authoritarian regime tailored solely to himself,” Lindner said.

Political predictions for 2014

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is getting lonelier and this makes him more ill-tempered. There are two big risk areas for Erdoğan. One of them is the total war he declared against the Gülen movement for no apparent reason.

The 26th meeting of “Covering Turkey:” the past, present and future of prep schools

Medialog platform, which is part of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, has just announced that the 26th meeting of covering Turkey will be held on November 26, 2013 to discuss the past, present and future of prep schools. The meeting will address this highly debated issue in Turkish socio-political context.

Medialog debates new media challenges at İstanbul conference

The Medialog Platform, which operates under the umbrella of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), brought together communication academics and media experts to discuss new challenges that the media is facing in the digital age, at the International Communication Faculties Conference in İstanbul on Friday.

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

Erdoğan’s ‘Reichstag fire’

New constitution must bear spirit of Abant

Auto companies from 27 countries join TUSKON summit

Fethullah Gülen’s lawyers fear attacks on his life amid calls for return to Turkey

Gülen: Smear campaign targets those promoting Turkish culture

Cancer patient arrested over Gülen links shortly after surgery

THY’s Topçu defends embargo on papers, defamation campaign

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News