Police in southern Adana province detained Alparslan Kuytul, a cult leader and former head of a prominent foundation he helped found, on charges of abduction.
Monday’s detention follows allegations that Kuytul orchestrated the kidnapping of Koray Sarısaçlı, a businessperson who once served as an administrator at the Furkan Foundation that Kuytul established. Sarısaçlı had filed a criminal complaint, claiming he was abducted by people with ties to Kuytul and held for 13 days. During this time he was tortured and forced to sign promissory notes amounting to $7 million (TL 104.8 million). Kuytul now faces charges of kidnapping, robbery and inciting injury in light of the incident.
Kuytul was arrested in 2018 on charges of running a criminal organization and fraud regarding his foundation. He was in prison when additional charges of supporting FETÖ were brought against him due to his sermons allegedly endorsing the group. He was released from prison in 2019 and was acquitted of charges in 2020.
His supporters often stage demonstrations to protest the prevention of their activities despite a ban on their rallies. Influential on social media, Kuytul's supporters decried the police intervention at one such rally recently while Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu defended the decision, saying the group often violates illegal assembly laws.
