Turkish televangelist’s ‘hoard of antiques,’ including Torah manuscript, seized by police

ISTANBUL

Turkish police have reportedly seized truckloads of antique objects owned by controversial televangelist Adnan Oktar, including a “highly valuable” Torah manuscript.

Oktar, who is also known abroad by his pen name Harun Yahya, was detained with 234 of his followers last month over 30 charges including establishing a criminal organization, child sexual abuse, sexual intercourse with a minor, kidnapping, violating tax law, and violating the anti-terrorism law.

He hosted talk show programs on his television channel, A9, on which he has discussed Islamic values and sometimes danced with young women he calls “kittens” and sang with young men, who he calls his “lions.”

Daily Habertürk reported on Aug. 30 that the financial crimes unit of the Istanbul police have recently taken valuable antiques from Oktar’s house in Çengelköy and his storehouse in the Ümraniye district.

Multiple trucks transferred the apparently historical objects to the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Turkish Islamic Works Museum in Istanbul to review them.

According to the report, while the initial review showed some of the items were not historically significant, others were, including a Torah manuscript.

The manuscript was considered “valuable enough that such a kind can only be found in synagogues,” the report said.