Interfaith dialogue

Greece's government spokesman on Monday reacted to a report published by a Turkish magazine last week which described Istanbul-based Patriarch Vartholomaios as an "associate" of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

"There has been a significant decrease in reports on human rights violations because of the restrictions," he said.

Civil society sidelined

Third anniversary of the failed coup attempt at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

Turkey on April 29 slammed a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom which recommended the U.S. government include Turkey on its "Special Watch List" (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.

The ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP and its junior partner, the Nationalist Movement Party, MHP, introduced a new bill to the Turkish Parliament on Tuesday aimed at releasing 90,000 prisoners.

The bill, which will be voted upon by MPs soon, will increase probation time and decrease sentences. 

A businessman of Azerbaijani origin was remanded into custody by an Istanbul court for having links with the FETÖ, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on March 17.

Mubariz Mansimov Gurbanoğlu and his company's director Nuray Nurcihan Perker were detained by the financial crimes police team as part of an investigation carried out by prosecutors in Istanbul.

An associate of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen has warned of the fate awaiting Turks extradited from the Balkans at the request of Ankara as it pursues revenge for a failed 2016 coup.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America took part in the United Nations' 58th session of the Commission for Social Development held earlier this month in New York focusing on affordable housing and social protection systems to address homelessness.

Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of nearly 700 people, including military and justice ministry personnel, state media said, intensifying moves against a network accused of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

The arrests came amidst rumours of yet another coup attempt against Erdogan which was denied by the government.

A suspected so-called "Malaysia imam" of the FETÖ was detained in central Turkey, security sources said on Jan. 25.

The suspect, identified by Ahmet K., was so-called imam of FETÖ members in Malaysia from 2011 to 2013.

Turkish police arrested the suspect and his wife, identified as Betul K., in Turkey's Konya province.

The counter-terrorism police detained an ex-soldier in Turkey on Jan. 16 over his links to the FETÖ, the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt.

Former Lt. Gen. Metin İyidil was detained in the capital Ankara after a local court issued an arrest warrant over the prosecutors' demand.