Erdogan expected to put anti-Gulen movement in high gear
The Turkish government has officially declared the Gulen movement a terrorist organization, paving the way for even speedier seizures of Gulen-affiliated universities.
The latest battle between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the outlawed Gulen movement is being fought in universities. The government is seizing universities — many with tens of thousands of students enrolled — operated by Gulen movement foundations and has appointed trustees to run them with the intention of either turning them into public universities or closing them down.
At the May 26 meeting of the National Security Council, Erdogan declared that the council has officially registered the Gulen movement as the Fethullah Terror Organization (FETO).
Until now, scores of businessmen, journalists and police officials, including members of their senior ranks, have been detained in what were called "operations against parallel state structures." Now, such anti-Gulen actions will be taken based on "combating terror organizations."
But several legal experts have warned that charging people under a terrorist designation without a judicial decision would contravene the law and the constitution.
