Turkish authorities are going after the powerful Suleymancilar Islamic organisation and other autonomous centres of influence as President Erdogan pursues a transformation to a political system not dissimilar to Russia’s, political analyst Salim Cevik tells BIRN.
The Turkish authorities’ crackdown on the Suleymancilar is about more than the fate of the country’s biggest and wealthiest Sunni religious community. It is about extinguishing all forms of political and social autonomy outside of the control of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claims Salim Cevik of the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs, SWP.
Since August 13, prosecutors have repeatedly targeted the Suleymancilar leader, members and affiliated companies with allegations of organised crime, money laundering, fraud and tax evasion. So far, 92 people have been detained, 32 of whom have been officially placed under arrest, including leader Alihan Kuris.
The context is one of mounting pressure on opposition political parties, the municipalities they run, and other independent centres of power or social influence, raising fears that the Suleymancilar may face the same fate as the Gulen movement, dismantled following a failed 2016 coup amid a wave of arrests and imprisonment.
Source: balkaninsight.com
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