clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Turkiye police arrest Gulen's niece

June 25, 2023 at 10:50 am

Turkish Police in Istanbul, Turkey on 1 January 2017 [Kenzo Tribouillard/IP3/Getty Images]

Turkish security forces have captured and arrested the niece of Fethullah Gulen, in the latest action against the family of the failed 2016 coup attempt’s suspected leader.

According to Turkish media outlets, a source said on condition of anonymity that security forces today intercepted and arrested Asiye Gulen and her husband Mustafa Camyar in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.

The operation was reportedly carried out by Istanbul Police’s intelligence teams, which seized organisational documents, “F” series 1 dollar banknotes, eight mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, two laptops, numerous flash drives, DVDs, and hard disks.

It is the latest action to be taken by Ankara against the family of Gulen, who the Turkish government accuses of plotting the failed coup of 2016, and whose movement the government believes had infiltrated major institutions in Turkiye such as the military, police, judiciary, and education sector.

The arrests come two years after Turkish agents captured Gulen’s nephew in an overseas operation, and one year after Turkish forces apprehended another niece while she was attempting to flee to Greece. 

Official: Gulen is as important to Turkey as Bin Laden was for US