ISTANBUL (Medyascope) – Last week, the chief prosecutor’s office in Turkey’s southern city of Adana carried out an operation resulting in the detention of 32 members of the Furkan Foundation, an Islamist religious group known for their staunch opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
By Leo Kendrick • Medyascope
The arrests included group founder and leader Alparslan Kuytul and his wife Semra.
In addition to the arrests, access to 349 social media accounts associated with the group were blocked, and trustees were appointed to five companies allegedly owned by group members.
According to a statement from Turkey’s Justice Ministry, those arrested are accused of ‘founding and running a criminal organization’, ‘laundering funds originating from criminal activity’, ‘falsification of official documents’, and ‘aggravated fraud’.
This development follows a similar operation carried out against the Süleymancı cemaat, another anti-Erdoğan Islamist group, in mid-August.
In a heated social media post last week, Erdoğan advisor Oktay Saral had warned Alparslan Kuytul, saying “You will be next” after the Furkan Foundation leader shared a post criticizing the operation against the Süleymancı group.
Furkan Foundation
The Adana-based Furkan Foundation was founded by Kuytul in 1994. The group’s professed goals are raising a pious generation in order to ‘rebuild Islamic civilization’. The group is also known for its associated TV channel and magazine.
Alparslan Kuytul is known for being a leading Pan-Islamist, routinely advocating for the abolition of democratic nation-states and the establishment of a larger Islamic state. Throughout his years of advocacy, Kuytul has been accused of ties with ISIS, the PKK, and the Gülen movement, which he has denied. He has also publicly feuded with Erdoğan allies frequently.
In recent years, the Furkan Foundation has made headlines with its open critique of President Erdoğan and has been frequently targeted with investigations due to organizing unauthorized demonstrations and alleged financial infractions.
Another anti-Erdoğan Islamist group subject to arrests and investigation | By Leo Kendrick | Edited by Medyascope English Newsroom
