A newly released report by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security provides an updated assessment of the ongoing persecution of individuals linked to the Gülen movement in Turkey. The report details detentions, prosecutions, and social exclusion faced by alleged members of the movement, which has been outlawed in Turkey and blamed for the 2016 coup attempt—an allegation the movement denies.
Ongoing Persecution in Turkey
The report, covering the period from September 2023 to February 2025, outlines how Turkish authorities continue to target individuals accused of ties to the movement. While the number of arrests has declined compared to the immediate aftermath of the coup attempt, the crackdown remains systematic.
Turkish authorities continue to arrest and prosecute civilians, military personnel, police officers, and judicial officials under anti-terrorism laws. In October 2023, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the detention of 611 individuals in a nationwide operation, many accused of using ByLock, an encrypted messaging app that Turkish authorities claim was used by the movement.
Between January 10 and October 23, 2024, a total of 27 operations resulted in the detention of 1,824 people, according to official figures cited in the report. In December 2023, 445 police officers were suspended due to suspected links to the movement.
The report also highlights that civilians who assist imprisoned Gülenists, including those who provide financial aid to detainees and their families, are still being prosecuted.
Legal Barriers and Social Exclusion
The Dutch report emphasizes that Turkish courts continue to convict individuals based on the use of ByLock and other alleged indicators of movement affiliation, such as communicating via payphones.
Despite a 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) declaring Turkey’s use of ByLock, bank transactions, and labor union membership as evidence unlawful, Turkish authorities have ignored the ruling. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç rejected the decision, and Turkey’s Constitutional Court dismissed its relevance, further cementing the government’s refusal to comply with international legal standards.
Beyond the legal challenges, social exclusion remains a major issue. Many individuals dismissed from public sector jobs in the post-coup purge struggle to find employment, as their names remain on a government blacklist maintained by Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK).
Private employers can access these records, significantly reducing job opportunities for dismissed Gülenists. The report cites a 2024 court ruling reinstating 450 judges and prosecutors but notes that President Erdoğan openly criticized the decision, reinforcing the government’s stance against those affiliated with the movement.
Even family members of suspected Gülenists face discrimination. The report highlights cases where relatives were denied government jobs and social benefits. A notable example is the 78-year-old mother of businessman Akın İpek, who was imprisoned due to her son’s alleged links to the movement.
International Abductions and Extraditions
The Dutch report also addresses Turkey’s international efforts to detain and extradite alleged Gülenists. The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) has described these extraterritorial operations as “systematic”.
Several high-profile cases were documented, including the October 2024 repatriation of four Gülen-linked individuals from Kenya, despite their refugee status. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) condemned the deportations, calling them a violation of international law.
In December 2023, Turkish intelligence agents allegedly abducted two Gülen-affiliated individuals from Algeria and transferred them to Turkey.
A December 2024 investigative report by The Washington Post revealed that at least 118 individuals accused of Gülenist ties have been forcibly returned to Turkey over the past decade. Many were subsequently tried and convicted on terrorism charges. The newspaper’s findings, based on court documents, UN reports, and interviews with officials and victims, confirm that Turkey’s campaign against the movement extends beyond its borders.
Additionally, Ankara has worked to shut down Gülen-affiliated institutions abroad. On December 31, 2024, the Kyrgyz government announced that all Gülen-linked schools in the country had been transferred to Turkey’s Maarif Foundation, a state-run institution established to replace Gülen-affiliated educational networks worldwide.
Erdoğan’s Continued Crackdown After Gülen’s Death
The Dutch report states that Turkey intensified its rhetoric against the movement following the death of Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania on October 20, 2024.
The day after his passing, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan vowed to continue the fight against the movement. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reinforced this stance at a regional summit in November, declaring:
“Our fight against all forms of terrorism, especially against FETÖ [the derogatory acronym used by Ankara for the Gülen movement], will continue without interruption.”
Despite international condemnation, Turkey has shown no signs of easing its persecution of alleged Gülenists. The Dutch report concludes that while the scale of the crackdown has diminished since the post-coup years, the legal, social, and political repression remains severe.
Continued Mass Arrests in Turkey
The Dutch government’s findings illustrate the unrelenting nature of Turkey’s crackdown on Gülenists, nearly a decade after the failed coup attempt.
A recent mass arrest operation linked to Maydonoz Döner, a popular restaurant chain with over 400 locations in Turkey and abroad, underscores Ankara’s determination to dismantle any suspected Gülenist network.
– In this large-scale operation, 353 individuals were detained, and 126 were later arrested, while the company was seized.
– Turkish authorities cited financial transactions and alleged organizational links as justification for the operation.
This high-profile case serves as another stark reminder that Turkey continues to suppress business, social, and educational entities it perceives as affiliated with the movement.
International Implications: Risks for Asylum Seekers
Despite rulings from the European Court of Human Rights rejecting Turkey’s legal basis for prosecuting alleged Gülenists, European governments are reassessing their asylum policies for Turkish nationals.
Human rights advocates warn that deporting individuals accused of Gülenist ties would expose them to persecution, potentially violating international human rights obligations.
As the Dutch report makes clear, Turkey remains committed to dismantling the movement, both domestically and internationally, nearly a decade after the coup attempt. The continued repression, international abductions, and systematic discrimination reinforce concerns that those targeted by Turkish authorities remain at severe risk, regardless of where they are in the world.
