Gülenists make dark propaganda once again: Turkish justice minister

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has said members of the Gülen movement, which was blamed for the July 15 failed seizure of government, were engaging in “dark propaganda,” as he commented on the rumors about a potential second coup attempt.

“FETÖ [the Fethullahist Terror Organization] started dark propaganda after getting over the shock of July 15. They said another [coup] attempt would take place on Aug. 14, but did it happen? They say many things,” Bozdağ said in an event in Ankara on Sept. 29, adding that U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen was the “king of the liars.”

“The ones who act alongside Gülen are also liars,” he added. 

Saying that Gülenists and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) would be cleaned from the state “one by one,” Bozdağ noted that “no one should doubt it.”

“Fear is being spread into society. No one should be afraid, but the terrorists should be worried. The ones who want justice should never be concerned. The rightful and the unjust will be separated on the scale of justice,” he said, adding that “no one unrelated to terror will be dismissed from their jobs and the examinations of authorities are ongoing with great sensitivity.”

During his speech, Bozdağ talked about the state of emergency, saying that its extension was “a need.”

“The extension of the state of emergency for another three months is because it’s a need. We need it to prevent the dangers that we can’t foresee. The state of emergency was only applied to the state until today. Our citizens weren’t harmed by the state of emergency and they won’t be,” he said.

Bozdağ also said that there was no limit to the state of emergency. 

“Authorities are given in all of the issues that the state of emergency deems necessary,” he added. 

Saying that there was no torture in Turkish prisons, Bozdağ added that “slander” regarding the issue was being spread in the international arena. 

“I’m saying it from here: There is no torture in the prisons in Turkey. We ask them about who was subjected to torture, but they can’t say it,” he said. 

In his speech, the justice minister also said that Turkish authorities have suspended 1,500 prison personnel and guards over links to Gülenists.