Turkey seizes assets of former lawmaker over FETO links

By Emre Ayvaz

SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) – A Turkish court on Friday ordered the forfeiture of assets belonging to a former deputy of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party over alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

The court in the northwestern province of Sakarya ordered that all bank accounts, vehicles and other assets belonging to Hakan Sukur - also a former international footballer - and his father Selmet Sukur be confiscated, said a judicial source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

On Thursday, the chief public prosecutor’s office in Sakarya had issued an arrest warrant against the pair.

Hakan Sukur, who is living in the U.S., is among some 350 people being sought by the Turkish authorities over links to the coup attempt. In June, proceedings began against him for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen is accused by Turkey of organizing the coup attempt through his supporters.

Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1997, is accused of running a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the ‘parallel state’.

*Hale Turkes contributed to this story from Ankara.