Top court upholds TV preacher’s sentence, orders confiscation of TL 5 billion in assets
Turkish Minute/July 12, 2024
Turkey’s top appeals court has upheld the conviction and 8,658-year prison sentence of Adnan Oktar, a controversial TV preacher, while also ordering the confiscation of his assets worth an estimated 5 billion lira.
The Supreme Court of Appeals’ 1st Criminal Chamber upheld Oktar’s lengthy prison sentence and conviction, which encompasses multiple charges, including sexual exploitation, attempted murder, torture, obstruction of education, unlawful detention and unauthorized recording of personal data. This decision finalizes a case that has garnered widespread attention due to the severity of the crimes and the extensive list of charges against Oktar and his associates.
The court’s ruling also mandated the seizure of Oktar and his organization’s assets, which include luxury vehicles, real estate, jewelry and substantial amounts of cash in both Turkish lira and foreign currencies. Among the confiscated items are three Range Rovers, a Mercedes S600, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Jaguar, all equipped with armor similar to that used in vehicles for heads of state, capable of withstanding rocket-propelled grenade attacks.
The assets also include 61 luxury cars, 17 villas located in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş, Kartal, Sarıyer and Tuzla districts, and various other properties and valuables seized during the 2018 police operation. This operation led to Oktar’s arrest following a raid on his mansion and multiple hideouts, where authorities discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition, primarily Glock handguns.
Additionally, significant amounts of Turkish lira and foreign currency, jewelry, company assets and surveillance equipment used in the organization’s operations were among the seized items now transferred to the state.
Oktar, known for his television programs where he preached creationism and conservative values while surrounded by women he called “kittens,” was taken into custody in İstanbul in 2018 as part of a probe by the city’s police financial crimes unit in a major crackdown on his group.
He was initially sentenced to 1,075 years in prison. However, a higher court later overturned this ruling, leading to a retrial in 2022, at the conclusion of which an Istanbul high criminal court handed down the 8,658-year sentence, which has now been upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
A recent documentary about Oktar drew parallels with the case of Jeffrey Epstein and portrayed the preacher as a notorious cult leader who exploits his followers.
The Supreme Court of Appeals’ 1st Criminal Chamber upheld Oktar’s lengthy prison sentence and conviction, which encompasses multiple charges, including sexual exploitation, attempted murder, torture, obstruction of education, unlawful detention and unauthorized recording of personal data. This decision finalizes a case that has garnered widespread attention due to the severity of the crimes and the extensive list of charges against Oktar and his associates.
The court’s ruling also mandated the seizure of Oktar and his organization’s assets, which include luxury vehicles, real estate, jewelry and substantial amounts of cash in both Turkish lira and foreign currencies. Among the confiscated items are three Range Rovers, a Mercedes S600, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Jaguar, all equipped with armor similar to that used in vehicles for heads of state, capable of withstanding rocket-propelled grenade attacks.
The assets also include 61 luxury cars, 17 villas located in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş, Kartal, Sarıyer and Tuzla districts, and various other properties and valuables seized during the 2018 police operation. This operation led to Oktar’s arrest following a raid on his mansion and multiple hideouts, where authorities discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition, primarily Glock handguns.
Additionally, significant amounts of Turkish lira and foreign currency, jewelry, company assets and surveillance equipment used in the organization’s operations were among the seized items now transferred to the state.
Oktar, known for his television programs where he preached creationism and conservative values while surrounded by women he called “kittens,” was taken into custody in İstanbul in 2018 as part of a probe by the city’s police financial crimes unit in a major crackdown on his group.
He was initially sentenced to 1,075 years in prison. However, a higher court later overturned this ruling, leading to a retrial in 2022, at the conclusion of which an Istanbul high criminal court handed down the 8,658-year sentence, which has now been upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
A recent documentary about Oktar drew parallels with the case of Jeffrey Epstein and portrayed the preacher as a notorious cult leader who exploits his followers.
To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.
