Monday, April 13, 2026
ADVT 
National

Global Affairs Confirms Another Canadian Arrested In Turkey

The Canadian Press, 28 Jul, 2016 02:25 PM
    Global Affairs Canada says a second Canadian citizen has been detained in Turkey.
     
    Spokesman Francois Lasalle says Canadian consular officials are in contact with Turkish authorities and are providing consular assistance to the family.
     
    Global Affairs would not release the name of the Canadian, citing privacy concerns.
     
    However, the Anatolian Heritage Federation in Ottawa says in a release that the person arrested and detained at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul is Ilhan Erdem on what it calls "trumped up" allegations.
     
    It cites Turkish media as reporting Erdem is accused of leading the Hizmet movement in Canada.
     
    The Hizmet movement, also known as the Gulen movement, is described as a global network based on the teachings of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a critic and former ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
     
    The federation says, however, that Erdem's beliefs are "simply aligned with those of Hizmet" and was arrested only because Erdogan "continues to target all detractors ... including peaceful Hizmet participants."  
     
    Nurcan Topcuolgu, a family friend and a member of the federation, says no one has been able to contact Erdem or his wife since they tried to board a flight to Canada on Monday. She says Erdem, his wife and two children were planning a family vacation in Ottawa.
     
    Topcuolgu says Erdem was working as an imam when he lived in Ottawa, but has been working as an education consultant in Turkey for the last three years. 
     
    There was still no concrete word, meanwhile, on why a Calgary man being detained in Turkey has been arrested, amid media reports that he's accused of being a coup plotter.
     
    Davud Hanci, an imam who provides spiritual counselling to prisoners, is apparently being held on accusations he was involved in the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.
     
    Pictures that had circulated in Turkish media show a man purported to be Hanci with Gulen.
     
    Hanci was allowed to see his wife on Monday, but the visit was too brief to glean much information.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Vancouver Police Search For Man Missing More Than A Year

    Vancouver Police Search For Man Missing More Than A Year
    The VPD is asking for the public’s help to find a man who has been missing for more than a year.

    Vancouver Police Search For Man Missing More Than A Year

    A Look At The Cost Of Syrian Refugee Resettlement, By The Numbers

    A Look At The Cost Of Syrian Refugee Resettlement, By The Numbers
    Here's a look at the original budget for the program, and what was spent in 2015-2016, by the numbers:

    A Look At The Cost Of Syrian Refugee Resettlement, By The Numbers

    Owning A Home Increasingly A Pipe Dream For House-hunters In Toronto, Vancouver

    Owning A Home Increasingly A Pipe Dream For House-hunters In Toronto, Vancouver
    Unlike many house sales in Toronto, she added, her house "didn't go for a crazy amount over the asking price."

    Owning A Home Increasingly A Pipe Dream For House-hunters In Toronto, Vancouver

    Montreal Woman, 55, Killed In Apparent Dog Attack

    Montreal Woman, 55, Killed In Apparent Dog Attack
    Farid Benzenati said he arrived home from work at around 5 p.m. and noticed a dog playing with what he thought was "a large object" in the next backyard.

    Montreal Woman, 55, Killed In Apparent Dog Attack

    B.C. Premier Sheds Personal Silence To Help Fight Sexual Violence

    B.C. Premier Sheds Personal Silence To Help Fight Sexual Violence
    Clark says she has always wondered if, due to her silence, the man kept going until he caught a girl who could not get away.

    B.C. Premier Sheds Personal Silence To Help Fight Sexual Violence

    New Interchange At Highway 91 And 72nd To 'Cut The Congestion' At Alex Fraser Bridge

    New Interchange At Highway 91 And 72nd To 'Cut The Congestion' At Alex Fraser Bridge
    Traffic demand on the Highway 91 corridor – and over the Alex Fraser Bridge – continues to grow as development in Surrey and Delta increases

    New Interchange At Highway 91 And 72nd To 'Cut The Congestion' At Alex Fraser Bridge