Two children of a jailed purge victim were killed and his wife was seriously injured on the way back from a prison visit in an auto accident near Ankara on Friday.
Enis Evren Civelek is one of the countless victims of Turkey’s massive purge of supporters of the faith-based Gülen movement, which is labeled as a terrorist organization by the regime.
Civelek’s wife and two children paid him a visit at Keskin Prison on Friday. In an auto accident on the way home, his two children, aged 3 and 8, died immediately, while his wife Hatice was hospitalized with broken ribs and other injuries.
The jailed father received permission from authorities to attend the funeral, although his wife remains in the hospital.
After the news broke on social media, Hatice Civelek asked authorities to at least try her husband without keeping him in pretrial detention, citing his innocence. Pretrial detention is a common practice in Turkey.
Tens of thousands of Gülen movement supporters have been persecuted in Turkey over allegations of terrorist support.
The movement is accused of organizing a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016 although its leader, Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, denies any involvement.