Türkiye sounds alarm over Süleymancı network’s Cologne expansion

Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said an operation targeting a criminal organization linked to Süleymancı community leader Alihan Kuriş had been in preparation for several months.

According to the minister, Turkish authorities discussed the case with the justice minister shortly before the operation, after which arrests began in the morning, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Ciftci said the investigation is primarily focused on the organization’s alleged financial and criminal activities. Investigators found that companies reportedly linked to the structure had recorded a sharp increase in financial turnover and sales volumes since 2020.

The minister also said an organization associated with the group is constructing a major centre in Cologne at an estimated cost of around $70 million. Turkish authorities suspect the facility could become a new hub for the organization’s activities.

The remarks came after the Ankara Prosecutor’s Office reportedly issued detention warrants for 49 suspects as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organization. Among those named in the investigation is Alihan Kuriş, leader of the influential Süleymancı religious community.

By Vafa Guliyeva