(Deutsche Welle-Germany) Teri Schultz - Former Lt.- Commander Cafer Topkaya, a lifelong naval officer, is one of thousands of Turkish military officers who were condemned by Erdogan as being supporters of Fethullah Gulen in the massive purges that are still taking place in Turkey. When he was summoned to an "urgent meeting" in Ankara in October 2016, Topkaya said he felt obliged to follow those orders since he had nothing to do with the coup attempt or the Gulenist movement. He quickly found that what he thought would be his defense - his trusted position at NATO - was now considered part of his "crimes." "Being pro-West and pro-NATO is a big crime in Turkey now," he said. Eventually he was released and then escaped back to his family in Brussels. Other purged NATO officers are concerned for his safety. "Erdogan's long arm is everywhere," one said.
2018-08-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive