Turkish police detained 23 individuals on Friday in a renewed wave of arrests targeting alleged supporters of the faith-based Gülen movement, this time focusing on business ties to a popular döner restaurant chain recently seized by the government.
The operation, directed by the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, was conducted in Eskişehir and multiple other provinces. Authorities claim the detained individuals had business relationships with Maydonoz Döner, a rapidly expanding fast-food chain to which the government appointed a trustee in February.
The suspects are accused of being part of what prosecutors describe as the Gülen movement’s “current structure.” Founded by the late Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, the movement is designated a terrorist organization by the Turkish government, which accuses it of orchestrating a failed coup in July 2016—an allegation Gülen, who died in exile in the United States in 2023, consistently denied.
During Friday’s raids, police reportedly seized mobile phones, computers, a banned religious book by Gülen, around 80,000 Turkish lira in cash, and three $1 bills—items that Turkish authorities have long claimed are used symbolically by members of the movement.
This latest operation follows a major crackdown on February 21, when 353 people were detained across 31 provinces in connection to Maydonoz Döner. That number later rose to 372 as arrests spread to 32 provinces. Of those, 126—among them four civil servants—were formally arrested, while 156 were released under judicial supervision.
Founded in 2018 by businessman Ömer Şeyhin, Maydonoz Döner quickly became one of Turkey’s fastest-growing food franchises, with more than 400 locations domestically and several abroad. Prosecutors allege that its franchise model enabled Gülen-linked individuals to form unofficial partnerships, often requiring internal references and funneling a portion of revenues to the movement. Authorities also claim the chain provided employment opportunities and financial assistance to individuals under investigation for ties to Gülen.
In response, the government has appointed trustees to 22 franchise locations, a tactic widely deployed since 2016 to seize institutions suspected of being Gülen-affiliated, including schools, media outlets, and companies.
Once lauded by Turkish leaders for its educational and cultural initiatives, the Gülen movement was designated a terrorist organization in May 2016 and has since been the target of an expansive and controversial purge. More than 700,000 individuals have been investigated for alleged links to the group, with tens of thousands arrested, dismissed from public service, or subjected to asset seizures.
Friday’s arrests underscore the enduring intensity of the Turkish government’s campaign against the Gülen network, nearly a decade after the attempted coup.
