Lawyer to Turkish opposition leader arrested in Ankara

By Mustafa Hatipoglu, Muhammed Enes Can, Ismet Karakas, and Serdar Acil

ISTANBUL / ANKARA

The lawyer for the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party was arrested early Friday over alleged ties to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), a court official said.

Celal Celik, who represents Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested at his home in the capital Ankara, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Celik was detained as part of an investigation by Istanbul prosecutors into lawyers thought to be linked to FETO, the group led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen that was behind last year’s defeated coup in Turkey.

Police are doing a search of Celik’s home and he is due to be transferred to Istanbul, the official added.

In September 2014, Celik donated 17,000 Turkish liras ($4,940) to the Association of Judges and Prosecutors (YARSAV), a group shut down under recent executive orders, according to an indictment by Ankara prosecutors investigating former YARSAV head Murat Arslan.

Celik confirmed that "during a dinner with friends from YARSAV" he agreed to donate the amount to the group, which faced financial difficulties at the time.

His donation is suspicious, according to the indictment.

Kilicdaroglu: Celik acted against FETO

Speaking to journalists at the Turkish parliament, Kilicdaroglu slammed the arrest of his lawyer.

"The fight waged in the name of 'fighting FETO' is just done to support FETO," he said. "This is an abdication of reason; what can I say?"

Kilicdaroglu said that in 2011 Celik had resigned from his post as an investigating judge in Turkey’s Supreme Court "which was under the control of FETO" at that time.

"He was a man who resigned from there … reacting against the presence of FETO," Kilicdaroglu said.

Celik worked in the Supreme Court from 2008 to 2011.

FETO was behind the July 15, 2016 coup attempt which saw 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured as rogue military units led by alleged FETO officers attempted to seize power.

FETO is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.