Turkish government has jailed Enver Altaylı, a 73-year-old Enver former diplomat and former personnel of notorious National Intelligence Organization (MİT) on Sunday. An Ankara court, which is part of judiciary under the directives of Turkish government, has decided to arrest Enver Altaylı over his alleged links to the Gülen movement.
His lawyer Adem Eroğlu has stated that they would appeal the court decision. Altaylı was subsequently transferred to the Sincan prison.
Enver Altaylı was detained in Korkuteli district of Antalya province on last Sunday over his alleged links to the Gülen movement. It was reported that Altaylı was wanted by Turkish police following a detention warrant issued for him in the framework of an investigation by Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office as part of Turkish government’s massive post-coup witch hunt campaign targeting alleged members of the Gülen movement.
Altaylı had been transferred to the anti-terror unit of Ankara Police Department. Altaylı is reportedly accused of having an active role within the movement. The 73-year-old diplomat had started to work for MİT in 1968.
Altaylı is also known to be imprisoned for his participation in the coup attempts in the 1960s orchestrated by Talat Aydemir against the coalition government of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), New Turkey Party (YTP), and Republican Villagers Nation Party (MKMP) under Prime Minister İsmet İnönü.
Turkey survived a controversial military coup attempt on July 15 that killed 249 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15. Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.
