Orhan İnandı, a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator who was kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan on May 31 and illegally brought to Turkey by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) in July, revealed during a court hearing that a statement previously given to the police was false because he had spoken under torture by security officers, Turkish Minute reported on Thursday, citing the Demirören news agency.
İnandı, who testified as a witness in the trial of Şükrü Yıldırır on Thursday, said during a hearing at the İstanbul 24th High Criminal Court that a statement he had given to the police after he was illegally brought to Turkey accusing Yıldırır of managing Gülen movement activities in İstanbul’s Beşiktaş district was false due to being taken under torture.
“I don’t recognize the defendant. I don’t remember what I said. I had given my statement under torture. I don’t remember the name [Şükrü Yıldırır]. I consider FETÖ to be a faith-based movement. I don’t see it as a terrorist organization,” İnandı said.
According to Demirören, the court on Thursday ruled to release Yıldırır.
FETÖ is a derogatory term coined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to refer to the Gülen movement as a terrorist organization.
Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, a faith-based group that focuses on science education, volunteerism, community involvement, social work and interfaith and intercultural dialogue that is inspired by the teachings of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.
