An electronic bracelet was attached to leg of renowned businessman Halit Dumankaya — an executive board member of Dumankaya Holding — who was released and placed under judicial supervision a month after being arrested as part of a government-led operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement late in April.
Dumankaya along with eight others were arrested by the İstanbul 3rd Penal Court of Peace on April 22, 2016, on the charges that include “being a member of a terrorist organization”, “providing financial support to a terrorist organization” and “making propaganda of it”.
He was released and placed under judicial supervision on May 21. An electronic bracelet was attached to Dumankaya’s leg as well as five others’ also released as part of the same operation on a prosecutor’s request in order to prevent them from leaving the province.
Dumankaya and others were arrested in an operation against the so-called the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY),” which is used by the government-backed judiciary to frame sympathizers of the Gülen movement, a grassroots social initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
“Parallel state” is a term coined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in December 2013 to refer to people believed to be inspired by the ideas of Gülen, especially those within the state bureaucracy.
Since a corruption investigation that implicated figures close to the government, as well as government members themselves, came to public attention on Dec. 17, 2013, there have been many similar police operations carried out targeting shopkeepers, teachers, members of the judiciary, journalists and police officers who are accused of being affiliated with the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement. The graft probe implicated then-Prime Minister Erdoğan, members of his family and senior Justice and Development Party (AK Party) figures.
Erdoğan accused the Gülen movement of plotting to overthrow his government and said sympathizers of the movement within the police department had fabricated the graft scandal. Since then, hundreds of police officers have been detained and some arrested for alleged illegal activity during the course of the investigation. Erdoğan said he would carry out a “witch hunt” against anyone with links to the movement.
The Gülen movement strongly rejects the allegations brought against it. There is not a court decision that declares the movement as a terrorist group either.
