Erdogan regime arrests Sheikh Alparslan Kuytul 48 hours after his release

The fact that Kuytul was re-arrested just two days after his release shows that the AKP regime is scared of the Furkan movement.

Crescent International

Jumada' al-Ula' 20, 1440 2019-01-26

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

Saturday January 26, 2019

Within 48 hours of his release on Thursday, January 24, the Erdogan regime re-arrested the leader of the Furkan Islamic movement in Turkey, Sheikh Alparslan Kuytul. He was arrested one year ago.

His re-arrest occurred after he gave a defiant speech to his supporters. In his speech, Sheikh Kuytul took clear principled positions that are considered taboo under Erdogan’s so-called Islamically-oriented regime.

Last year, the Turkish authorities raided the offices of the Furkan movement and arrested several of its leaders. Immediately, the AKP controlled media, as if on cue, launched a vicious smear campaign against Kuytul. The Turkish media hurled a series of logically inconsistent accusations against him. He was accused of being connected to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as well as being an agent of the anti-Muslim Brotherhood regime in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The latter backs the Egyptian dictator Abdel Fatah al-Sisi who has led a brutal cracked down of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The charismatic Kuytul was released on the condition that he must not leave Turkey. He has no intention of leaving. The movement is very clear about its revolutionary and peaceful goals within Turkey. He insists his struggle is inside Turkey, not outside.

Within Turkish Islamic circles, Sheikh Kuytul is seen as the main and harshest critic of the Erdogan regime. He has criticized it several times for its pretentious Islamism aimed at pacifying Turkey’s conservative population.

He has also been very critical of Erdogan’s pro-NATO policy against Syria that has brought nothing but misery to the Syrian as well as Turkish people.

Upon his release from prison, Sheikh Kuytul was greeted by hundreds of his supporters. While addressing them, the police cars turned on their sirens to drown out his speech.

It was clear that Sheikh Kuytul’s release and his re-arrest within 48 hours was a political decision, not a legal one.

Those observing Sheikh Kuytul’s prudent political activism expect him to continue with his activities whether in prison or outside.

The Furkan movement is a grassroots Islamic organization in Turkey that has presented itself as wise socio-political player, neither sliding towards the co-opted Salafi trend nor siding with the secularly inclined AKP regime.

The fact that Kuytul was re-arrested just two days after his release shows that the AKP regime is scared of the Furkan movement. It would not have resorted to this crude step that further unmasks the regime’s Washington sanctioned political Islam.

Crescent International has been monitoring the activities of the Furkan movement for over five years and on numerous occasions has analyzed its growing popularity.

As the voice of the global Islamic movement, our aim is to inform the Muslim Ummah about the activities of various parts of the Islamic movement, of which the Furkan movement is an integral part. We will continue to monitor its activities and report on developments as they occur.