ISTANBUL (Stockholm Center for Freedom) — A journalist in western Turkey was detained and subsequently fired from her job after she expressed condolences for Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen during a live broadcast on Monday, October 21.
The incident shows the extent to which Gülen, an arch-enemy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been demonized by Turkish authorities.
Gülen had been living in the United States since 1999 and passed away at a hospital in Pennsylvania on Sunday evening at the age of 83, according to the Gülen-affiliated Herkul website.
Aysın Komitgan, editor-in-chief of the Bursa’da Bugün news website, announced Gülen’s death during a live broadcast on the outlet’s YouTube channel. She said that although there had been earlier unconfirmed reports, the news had now been confirmed. “What can we say? May he rest in heaven,” she said.
Her comments prompted the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation into Komitgan on accusations of “disseminating terrorist propaganda.”
The Turkish government has labeled Gülen and his movement as a terrorist organization, accusing them of orchestrating corruption investigations in 2013 and a coup attempt in July 2016. Gülen and his followers have denied any involvement in the coup or other terrorist activities.
