Members of the Gülen movement in Türkiye – those who follow the teachings of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen – have faced discrimination for many years. This discrimination intensified after July 2016, when Gülenists were accused by Erdoğan of attempting a violent coup. Following this, the Gülen movement was criminalized by Erdoğan as an “armed terrorist organization”, and Erdoğan cracked down on all individuals and groups allegedly affiliated with the movement, under the guise of counterterrorism. The crackdown of individuals and groups allegedly affiliated with the Gülen movement has been internationally condemned as overbroad and violating human rights, including by Amnesty and Human Rights Watch. Many innocent people are caught up in the wave of mass detentions and torture, as evidenced by the numerous decisions by UN mechanisms and the European Court of Human Rights.

MP Arnold Viersen presented a petition in Parliament on June 14, 2023 concerning gross violations of human rights committed by Turkish, Bahraini, and Pakistani officials. The petition, which garnered approximately 1,500 signatures from across Canada, was drafted by Sarah Teich in collaboration with MP Viersen’s office. It calls for targeted sanctions on 12 Turkish officials including those responsible for the murder of Gökhan Açıkkollu and for gross violations of human rights committed against two Turkish-Canadian families.

MP Viersen’s video presenting the petition can be watched here.