Diyanet files criminal complaint against senior AKP member over his allegations

Duvar English

Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) on Sept. 7 announced that “the necessary legal process has been initiated” against Metin Külünk over his allegations, who is a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK).

In a statement, the directorate said “The necessary legal process has been initiated against Metin Külünk, who made slanders and false claims about the Diyanet and its executives in his posts on his social media accounts.”

The move came two days after Külünk claimed that Diyanet head Ali Erbaş was aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) affiliated companies and recruiting the Gülen network members, referred to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) by the Turkish government.

Külünk claimed that Erbaş was allowing companies to gain unfair profits by making exorbitant payments, “that were determined by intelligence units to support the PKK.”

Stating that the 'FETÖ' members still hold high-level positions in the Diyanet, Külünk claimed that Diyanet’s vice chair was helping and protecting some of the personnel against whom there were 'FETÖ' allegations.

“Most importantly, what are your reasons for allowing someone who made great efforts to eliminate high-level personnel fighting FETÖ and corruption in the Directorate to still work as the Vice President and the Board of Trustees of the Turkish Religious Foundation?,” Külünk asked Erbaş on Sept. 5.

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