Turkish prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against 70 people connected to popular restaurant franchise Maydonoz Döner, alleging links to the faith-based Gülen movement, a group accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, Turkish Minute reported on Monday.
The 281-page indictment, drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, accuses the 70 people of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “violating Turkey’s anti-terror financing law.”
Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences ranging from 14 years to more than 28 years for each of the accused. Of the 70 defendants, 46 are currently in pretrial detention.
The charges stem from an investigation that was made public through a police operation in February and continued in May and June with new wave of detentions, targeting people allegedly using the Maydonoz Döner chain to finance the Gülen movement, inspired by the views of the late Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Over the last decade Gülen, who died at the age of 83 in the US last October, and his movement, which in the past had been praised by the Turkish government for their activities in education and inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, have faced various accusations from the government, including masterminding corruption investigations in 2013 and the coup attempt in July 2016.
The Turkish government labeled Gülen and his movement “terrorists” in May 2016.
Gülen and his followers strongly denied any involvement in the coup or any terrorist activity but have been the subject of a harsh crackdown for a decade, which intensified in the aftermath of the abortive putsch.
According to the indictment, some franchise holders and unnamed partners of the Maydonoz Döner chain had ties to individuals previously investigated for alleged Gülen links. Prosecutors claim that “unofficial partners” without Social Security registration, some of whom had been subjected to prior criminal inquiries related to the movement, were allowed to invest in or work with the company in exchange for capital.
A report by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) reportedly found that 29 of the 74 branches employed individuals with no official registration and prior links to Gülen-related investigations. Yet critics note that mere employment of people previously investigated, not convicted, for Gülen ties does not meet international standards for criminal liability.
Following the February raids, a court ordered the seizure of the company and put it under state control, with the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) appointed as a trustee. The TMSF announced it had taken control of 21 companies operating under the Maydonoz Döner brand.
Among those appointed to the trustee board was Meryem Karaköse, a deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) İstanbul women’s branch, a move that fueled accusations of politically motivated asset transfers under the pretext of national security.
Maydonoz Döner, founded in 2018 by businessman Ömer Şeyhin, expanded rapidly to over 400 locations in Turkey and abroad before trustees were appointed to oversee its operations, part of a broader practice of government seizures of companies linked to the movement.
According to new figures published by Anadolu last week, Turkish authorities have seized 784 companies with a total asset value of TL 42.3 billion at the time of their takeover, an estimated $14 billion in 2016 USD terms, as part of the sweeping crackdown on the Gülen movement that followed the failed coup.
A pattern of persecution?
Since the coup attempt in 2016, the Turkish government has waged a relentless campaign against the Gülen movement, labeling it as a terrorist group and purging tens of thousands of civil servants, journalists, academics and business owners. Rights groups say the campaign has blurred the line between legitimate law enforcement and political persecution, especially in cases where no incitement or violent activity is alleged.
According to data from the police’s counterterrorism department, as reported by Anadolu last week, a total of 390,354 people have been detained on charges broadly categorized under terrorism or coup-related offenses since the coup attempt. Of these, 113,837 have been arrested.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly criticized the post-coup crackdown for undermining due process, suppressing dissent and targeting a religious group without credible evidence of wrongdoing. Despite these warnings, the purges and prosecutions continue nearly a decade later.
