Turkey asks Turks residing abroad to report Gulen supporters' whereabouts

Published July 22, 2016
Pro-nationalist university students shout during a protest against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers during a demonstration in Ankara. —AFP
Pro-nationalist university students shout during a protest against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers during a demonstration in Ankara. —AFP

STOCKHOLM: Turkey is asking its nationals living abroad to report people and organisations that support US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen accused of masterminding a failed military coup to Turkish authorities, Swedish Radio reported on Friday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen, a former ally, of being behind the plot, which crumbled early on Saturday.

In a crackdown on Gulen's suspected followers, more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and educators have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation.

On a Facebook page that caters to supporters of Turkey's ruling AK Party, a post urged people to call a Turkish number and provide information about supporters of Gulen.

When calling the phone number, public broadcaster Swedish Radio reported it reached the president's office that confirmed it was interested in information about Gulen supporters also in Sweden and said it wanted “all information you could give, personal data and addresses”.

No one picked up during regular office hours when Reuters called the number on Friday.

Turkey's ambassador to Sweden, Kaya Turkmen, had not been aware of the post, Swedish Radio said, but he said he found it natural that the Turkish state would be interested in such information.

“Every state has a right to collect information on activities that are directed against it, even if it is individuals living in Sweden,” Turkmen told Swedish Radio, which added there had been similar posts on social media in Germany and Austria.

Opinion

Editorial

Hard habits
Updated 30 Mar, 2025

Hard habits

Their job is to ensure that social pressures do not build to the point where problems like militancy and terrorism become a national headache.
Dreams of gold
30 Mar, 2025

Dreams of gold

PROSPECTS of the Reko Diq project taking off soon seem to have brightened lately following the completion of the...
No invitation
30 Mar, 2025

No invitation

FOR all of Pakistan’s hockey struggles, including their failure to qualify for the Olympics and World Cup as well...
New CEC?
Updated 29 Mar, 2025

New CEC?

The ruling parties should avoid getting involved in another controversy around the ECP.
Balochistan violence
Updated 29 Mar, 2025

Balochistan violence

How long can the state allow this unending cycle of violence in Balochistan to continue?
Turkiye protests
29 Mar, 2025

Turkiye protests

DAILY protests have continued in Turkiye since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. While the...