Seyfullah Tosun, a lawyer and academic, was arrested for alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, the Kronos news website reported on Tuesday.
Tosun faces charges related to his work history at Fatih University, a now-closed institution associated with the Gülen movement shut down by an emergency decree, as well as his representation of clients who were accused of similar charges of affiliation with the movement. Authorities also cited call record data, alleging Tosun maintained communication with individuals linked to the Gülen network.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since corruption investigations revealed in 2013 implicated then-Prime Minister Erdo?an as well as some of his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdo?an designated the movement a terrorist organization and began targeting its supporters. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following an abortive putsch in 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement consistently denied involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Tosun is the son of Naci Tosun, a former executive of Kaynak Holding, which was seized by the government as part of operations targeting entities linked to the Gülen movement. However, his father’s connections were not directly included in the charges.
The arrest came during a broader operation in Istanbul, where 28 individuals were detained on similar allegations.
Turkish authorities arrest lawyer in sweeping operation over alleged Gülen links
