A teacher who has struggled against FETÖ is now arrested for having connections with the group
Hilmi Kalender, a teacher who is a member of Eğitim-Sen (Education and Science Workers’ Union), has been arrested within the scope of the ongoing coup attempt investigations. A relative of his, who did not want his name disclosed, said, “Hilmi Kalender is a person who has struggled against the Gülenists for years. Now, he is arrested just because he is a member of the Union.”
UĞUR ŞAHİN
As more reports come in with regards to the suspension, arrest, or detention of people who are actually known for their democratic and anti-Gülenist stands, speculations over a witch-hunt on the move begin to rise.
One of the latest such reports involves the case of Hilmi Kalender, a teacher of Religion Culture and Moral Knowledge at Çameli town of the Denizli province, who has been detained. Mentioning that Kalender had been a candidate from CHP in 2009 local elections, a relative of his, not willing to disclose his name, has talked to BirGün about it: “Hilmi is very openly and obviously a social democrat. In 2009, he was a candidate for the municipality presidency.
And, actually, I remember very well that at that time, the Zaman newspaper had not even published his name in news by saying ‘We won’t publish news about a CHP member.’ He is now at the police station, under custody. But he is not suspended, he still holds his teaching position. Çameli is a small town; he had also gone through an interrogation following his candidacy. But now, they will most probably detain him. Plus, whoever is taken to the prosecutor’s office here, they get detained. Hilmi stands out a lot. Some people just could not accept the fact that he was a Religion Course teacher and a member of Eğitim-Sen and CHP at the same time. And, now, there is no solid charge. I talked to his lawyer; he said, ‘If there had been clear charges, I could have proved them null. But there is no clear charge. So, I there is not much I can do.’ Hilmi Kalender is a person who has struggled against FETÖ. Moreover, he is a person who has been subjected to FETÖ’s acts. Hilmi is taken into custody because of his Union membership. There is obviously a setup against him!”
