Istanbul court issues restraining order against televangelist Adnan Oktar after father’s application

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

An Istanbul court has issued a temporary restraining order against controversial TV personality Adnan Oktar and Gülperi Koçak, the mother of two young women, after a father claimed his two daughters were “forced” to be on Oktar’s program.

The Istanbul Anatolian 20th Family Court ruled for Oktar, known abroad as Harun Yahya, and Koçak to stay away from the 19-year-old and 17-year-old women for six months.

The court ruling came after the father, who lives in Austria, had not heard from his two daughters for a long time. The young women were then spotted on Oktar’s show.

Adnan, who has been described as the “most notorious cult leader in Turkey,” credits himself as a creationist and has written numerous books on the subject. On his TV program, he sits around with a group of plastic surgery-enhanced women, who he refers to as his “kittens,” discussing religion and social incidents.

The women’s father, Elvan Koçak, filed an application to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, after which the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into Oktar and Gülperi on charges of “deprivation of liberty.” The investigation file was then sent to the Istanbul 20th Family Court, as a result of which a restraining order was issued for the two young women in Oktar’s entourage for a period of six months.

The Istanbul Family Court also banned Oktar and Gülperi Koçak from making any remarks that involve “threats, insults, contempt or humiliation” against the father, as well as the two young women in question. The court also granted custody of the 17-year-old to the father, giving the mother permission to contact their daughters only on Sundays.

If Oktar or the mother violate any of the aforementioned decisions, they will be jailed for three to 10 days, the court ruled.

Before the restraining order was issued, the mother shared a photo on her social media account, saying she had custody over her daughters.

“My daughters are free with me. No one has forced my daughters to do anything. The court in Austria has given me custody,” she wrote in the caption.