Court re-arrests Istanbul mayor’s son-in-law, former police chief over Gülen links

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on June 17 ordered the arrest of Ömer Faruk Kavurmacı, the son-in-law of Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbaş, and former Istanbul police chief Hüseyin Çapkın on June 17 for the second time after they had been previously arrested over links to the Gülen movement blamed on the July 2016 failed coup attempt.

The suspects' arrest comes one day after two separate arrest warrants had been issued on them over their links to the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ).

Kavurmacı and Çapkın were referred to court and arrested for the second time.

Kavurmacı was arrested as part of an operation against the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), which was affiliated with the Gülenist movement before being released by the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of Peace on May 4 on the grounds that prison conditions were having a negative effect on the suspect, who was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005. He was detained by police on June 17.

Earlier, Çapkın had surrendered to police late on June 16 after the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him and former Denizli Gov. Abdülkadir Demir.

He was arrested in September 2016 but released two months later.