Politicians and human rights activists from Turkey and around the world have expressed anger, disappointment and condemnation over the mass detention of people affiliated with the Gülen movement in Turkey for accepting assistance from other Gülen followers or for distributing donations from Gülen members overseas to the families of people jailed by the Turkish government or purged from their jobs over links to the movement, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported.
Turkish police teams had as of Wednesday detained 599 people out of 704 for whom detention warrants were issued as part of an investigation into the financial activities of followers of the Gülen movement.
The Turkish government accuses the faith-based Gülen movement of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and labels it a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announced on Tuesday that 543 of the 704 people facing detention had been taken into custody as part the Gazi Turgut Aslan Operation, in simultaneous raids across 59 provinces.
The number of detainees had risen to 599 by Wednesday, including 244 women. According to the Turkish media, among those detained are mothers with infants and chronically ill and elderly people.
The detentions triggered reactions from international and Turkish politicians, lawyers and human rights advocates.
“The mass persecution in Turkey continues,” tweeted former Green member of the European Parliament Rebecca Harms, adding, “The sheer number of these detentions is terrifying. Five Hundred Forty-Three in one day! That the food donations to families of incarcerated people are allegedly a reason for detention is insane. … Turkey, no rule of law.”