The US State Department is “concerned” by reports that the founder of the Sapat school network, Orhan İnandı, has been reported missing in Kyrgyzstan, the TR724 news website reported, citing a statement by a spokesperson.
In a written response to an inquiry by Turkish reporter Adem Yavuz Arslan from TR724, a State Department spokesperson is quoted as saying, “We continue to closely monitor developments.”
The founder and president of the Turkish-Kyrgyz Sapat school network operating in Kyrgyzstan, İnandı went missing on May 31. The educator is feared to have been abducted by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) due to his alleged links to the Gülen movement.
Turkey claims the founder of the school network is Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, whose movement is labeled as a terrorist organization by the Turkish government and accused of masterminding a failed coup in Turkey in July 2016. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the abortive putsch or any terrorist activity.
Over the past five years scores of men alleged by Turkish authorities to have links to the Gülen movement, living in countries around the world, have been arbitrarily detained and forcibly returned to Turkey. There they are incarcerated on bogus terrorism charges in violation of due process rights and protections.