Statements from witnesses in a case against Alihan Kuriş, the leader of the Süleymancılar movement accused of running a criminal gang, point to connections between the group and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

The Süleymancılar are a religious movement, much like FETÖ portrayed itself before launching an all-out offensive to topple the government through its infiltrators.

The investigation into Kuriş’s alleged wrongdoings and the suspicious death of former Transportation Minister Arif Ahmet Denizolgun, who led the movement before Kuriş, revealed the connections.

R.Ş., a witness who was part of Süleymancılar for years, told prosecutors that Kuriş was "handled” by FETÖ. M.K., a businessperson, also testified that Denizolgun was opposed to FETÖ. M.K. told prosecutors that Denizolgun told him and a fellow businessperson before FETÖ’s first attempt to topple the government in December 2013 that FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen sought to cooperate with him "in the near future.”

"He told us that Gülen sent him a letter about cooperation, and he was considering rejecting the proposal. ‘We stand with the state,’ Denizolgun added,” M.K. said.

Y.K., another witness, said Kuriş had always been a greedy man and sought to lead the movement. Y.K. said he believed that Denizolgun’s death was not from natural causes. "Kuriş had been greedier (before Denizolgun’s death). He was ambitious; he wanted to lead. Both he and his mother repeatedly spoke about these ambitions,” he said.

Denizolgun died in Istanbul in 2016 at the age of 60 from a brain hemorrhage. His nephew, Fatih Süleyman Denizolgun, pointed the finger at Alihan Kuriş over his death. Kuriş was arrested last month on corruption charges, along with other top figures of the group. Earlier this month, authorities announced that Denizolgun’s body had been exhumed over suspicions of foul play.

R.Ş. said that Denizolgun was aware of the ambitions of Alihan Kuriş and his mother, Ayşe Gülderen, and feared that they would kill him. "He told his close circle that Alihan and his mother might attempt to poison him,” R.Ş. told investigators.

He stated that Kuriş was a puppet of FETÖ. "He knew he would be removed as leader of the movement if he did not pledge allegiance to FETÖ. FETÖ opposed Arif Ahmet Denizolgun’s leadership because he was loyal to the state,” he said.