The Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Unit on Saturday raided 25 addresses and two workplaces linked to the shady Gülen-movement after a nine-month long investigation carried out with technical and physical surveillance.
As a result of the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for 51 suspects for suspicious money transactions as well as for leaking information about rival companies to the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ).
The suspects are accused of funneling "himmet" to FETÖ. Himmet is the word given for donations to Gülenist charities, which are accused of transferring money for the personal use of FETÖ cadres.
Other accusations for the suspects include extorting a shop worth 950,000 Turkish liras (USD 278,000) from a businessman, and shooting and injuring a FETÖ member in charge of collecting himmet, who allegedly embezzled 1,000,000 Turkish liras (USD 341,000).
Some 28 suspects were arrested in the raids carried out across the provinces of Istanbul, Kayseri, Konya and Muğla.
Rızanur Meral, head of the Gülen Movement-linked Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) who is believed to be abroad, was among 23 suspects who are still sought by the police.
Referred to as the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ), the movement is seen as a threat to Turkey's national security. It has been accused of infiltrating state institutions in Turkey and attempting to overthrow the government.
Government officials have continuously expressed their determination to continue to lawfully fight the Gülen Movement, whose followers are accused of infiltrating state institutions to gain control of state mechanisms, illegal wiretapping, forgery of official documents and espionage.
