Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency has secretly filmed Turkish businessman Akın İpek, one of the targets of the Turkish government due to his links to the Gülen movement, in London, apparently violating İpek’s privacy.
The agency released video footage on Friday that shows İpek being secretly filmed around his offices in London and driving his car. In the clip the address of İpek’s offices are shown as well as the license plate of his car.
Anadolu says İpek has three offices one of London’s posh neighborhoods and drives an expensive car that has his initials on its license plate. The agency says İpek lives in luxury in London.
İpek accused the Anadolu news agency of making him an open target by releasing the details of his address on Friday.
“This has a reason. Since they cannot enter into a judicial and ethical competition [with me], they want to silence me [this way],” İpek tweeted.
The businessman, who went to the UK due to government pressure on followers of the Gülen movement, did not return to Turkey in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
The Turkish government, which accuses the movement of masterminding the failed coup, launched an all-out war on the movement’s followers following the putsch. The movement strongly denies any involvement.
The İpek family had already been under immense pressure from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government due to their links to the Gülen movement following corruption operations that were conducted on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013 in which Erdoğan’s close circle was implicated.
On Oct. 24, 2015 the government appointed trustees to take over the management of dozens of companies belonging to the İpek family in addition to several media outlets operating under the İpek Media Group, due to their critical stance against the government.
In January 2017 an Ankara court ordered that all assets belonging to the İpek family be transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) over links to the Gülen movement.