A female student who was arrested shortly after being detained in a mass crackdown on people linked to the faith-based Gülen movement last week has attempted suicide four times in the past four days.
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a deputy from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) brought attention to the case on his social media account, holding the government responsible for the young woman’s ordeal.
“Have you [authorities] no shame? A young female law student arrested in the Gaziantep-based operation has attempted suicide at least four times in four days and has been hospitalized. Are you going to kill people with your baseless charges?”
More than 300 people were detained across multiple provinces in Turkey on the order of prosecutors in Gaziantep. Among those taken into custody were numerous women and female university students. They were accused of providing financial support to the Gülen movement and communicating with its members via encrypted messaging apps. Some were also accused of “maintaining contact with individuals affiliated with the movement who are currently abroad.”
By Friday a total of 77 detainees had been arrested following their court appearances. The court released 125 of the detainees under judicial supervision, which includes a travel ban and requires them to regularly check in at a police station.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since corruption investigations revealed in 2013 implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan as well as members of his family and inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began pursuing its followers. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following an abortive putsch in 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Families of those detained have described the situation as deeply unjust. One woman expressed concern that her daughter’s university education could be at risk, while a man said his wife, who is in the midst of a high-risk pregnancy, fears the detention could have serious consequences for her health.
