News
Turkish evidence for Gulen extradition pre-dates coup attempt
Turkey’s request for U.S. extradition of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen refers only to his alleged activities before last month’s failed coup attempt, for which the Turks have not yet provided any evidence of his involvement, a senior administration official said.
New Level of Witch Hunt: Relatives are Targeted in Turkey
On July 26, Turkish police stormed the house of Muhammet Cakir, a lawyer wanted for arrest on coup charges. Failing to find the lawyer at home, they detained his 86-year-old mother to force her son to surrender. She has been kept as hostage since.
Turkish NGO in Cambodia Denies Links to Terror
The Mekong Dialogue Institute (MDI), a Turkish NGO based in Phnom Penh, on Monday denied any links to terrorism, although the organization was inspired by Fethullah Gulen, the man accused by the Turkish government of being behind last month’s failed coup in Turkey.
Turkish witch-hunt against the Gulen movement lacks one thing: Evidence
Fethullah Gulen and his movement are being purged not for terrorism, but for being unwilling to mindlessly follow the new elite ISMAIL SEZGIN Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares that the 15 July coup attempt was orchestrated by the Islamic cleric, Fethullah Gulen. Yet, there is little concrete evidence against Gulen. Instead, the government has […]
Junior Coalition Partner Demands Explanation Why Bulgarian Govt Turned over Abdullah Buyuk to Turkey
Right-wing Reformist Bloc, the junior partner in Bulgaria’s minority coalition cabinet, has demanded that Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova explain to Parliament why the government turned over Turkish businessman Abdullah Buyuk to Turkey last week. “The Reformist Bloc expresses disagreement with the violation of basic principles that guide the coalition; for us these are the rule […]
Bulgarians Outraged at Deportation of Gulen Supporter to Turkey
Abdullah Buyuk was handed over to the Turkish authorities on August 10 after his political asylum request was denied. Two Bulgarian courts had blocked his deportation in March, saying that he was wanted for “political reasons” in Turkey, and that he could not be guaranteed a fair trial.
Austria arrests two after arson attack on Turkish cultural center
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an attempt to set fire to a Turkish cultural centre in the northern Austrian town of Wels, police said on Monday, at a time of heightened tension between Vienna and Ankara. The attack took place in early morning and the suspects, whom police declined to identify, were arrested immediately.
PM Sipilä and FM Soini of Finland: Turkey needs to return to a path that respects human rights
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Foreign Minister Timo Soini [of Finland] have responded to a letter from the Finnish Union of Journalists. The Union’s missive asked the ministers to urge Turkey to avoid extreme measures in the aftermath of July’s failed coup.
Berlin mayor accuses Turkey of waging war on Gulen supporters in Germany
“I was approached and asked by a Turkish government official, whether we would be prepared to critically confront the Gulen movement in Berlin,” Michael Müller, mayor premier of the state of Berlin, told the German newspaper Bild. “I rejected the idea and made it very clear that Turkish conflicts could not be waged in our city,” he added.
Panel Discussion – The Gulen Schools In Central Asia
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev rather quickly defused the problem with Turkey by making a visit to Ankara to meet with President Erdogan. Nazarbaev did not agree to close down the Gulen schools in Kazakhstan, but he did promise to carefully scrutinize those running the schools and those teaching in them.
