POLICE today confirmed the arrest of a Turk, who was allegedly abducted over links with the Gulen movement outlawed in Turkey. The man works at the Turkish-Malaysia Dialogue. 

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed the arrest.

He said Turgay Karaman and another Turkish national Ihsan Aslan were arrested under Section 130 of the Penal Code for alleged involvement in activities that threaten the safety and security of the country.

“PDRMasia would like to confirm T. Karaman and I. Aslan were arrested yesterday for involvement in activities that threaten the safety and security in Malaysia under Section 130 of the Penal Code,” Khalid said as published in his twitter account @KBAB51.

Karaman, a former principal of Time International School in Kuala Lumpur, was taken away by five unknown men in two cars at the basement car park of Wisma E&C in Damansara Heights, according to a police report lodged by his friend Suheyl Ozcelik late yesterday.

The incident was recorded on closed-circuit television camera.

Ozcelik lodged the report, fearing that Turgay would share the same fate as two of his friends also “abducted” last year. Both were deported to Turkey a day after their abduction on October 13 .

Karaman was supposed to appear in court as a witness to a criminal case, which has been fixed for trial today and tomorrow.

He was expected to meet Ozcelik and their lawyers at their office yesterday for a briefing. Ozcelik tried to reach him when he did not turn up for the meeting.

After numerous failed attempts, Ozcelik and a few other friends asked the car park operator for the CCTV footage.

Karaman was driven away by five unidentified men in two cars – a Nissan Almera and a Proton Gen2.

The United States-based cleric Fethullah Gullen has been accused of orchestrating the July 15, 2016 coup in Turkey to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Gulen movement has been classified as a terror group by Ankara. – May 3, 2017.