A.Ç., former president of the Süleymancılar Association in İzmir. A lawsuit was filed against him alleging sexual assault

In Izmir, a hearing was held in the case filed by A.Ç., the 74-year-old former president of the Aid and Service Volunteers Association, which is claimed to belong to the Süleymancıs, for systematically sexually assaulting 6 women and a girl in the association.

A.Ç., who was detained for approximately eight months, was released on the grounds of his age and duration of detention, despite witness statements and camera recordings. While the hearing was closed to the press, the court postponed the hearing to 13.30 on January 21, 2027.

'IT'S NOT A CRIME, IT'S ADULTERY'

It was alleged that K.G, one of the administrators of the association, tried to cover up the events by describing what happened as "not a crime, but adultery" and used expressions such as "Adultery is not a crime in Turkey anyway, we call, we warn, we repent, the case is closed."

It was claimed that the victim, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, was witnessed by her mother being harassed, and that the mother was also subjected to harassment by A.Ç. and therefore filed a complaint. It was also reported that the victims had repeatedly complained to CIMER about the incidents.

Speaking to Cumhuriyet, Tülin Osmanoğulları, Izmir Representative of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, said, "The managers of the association said that this was adultery and that they would warn the man and make him repent. They told us that if a complaint was made and the incident was revealed, the victims were called 'infidels' and were sent into exile because they complained."

HE ASKED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Osmanoğulları said that internet use is prohibited in homes belonging to the sect and girls are not sent to school. Stating that for this reason, the victims did not even know whether what they experienced for a long time was a crime or not, Osmanoğulları said, "The person who placed the camera asked the artificial intelligence whether what happened was a crime or adultery. The answer he received was that this was a sexual assault committed using religious values."

Osmanoğulları noted that the 17-year-old victim said, "He was told that the other party was a chosen, holy person, that he was doing good deeds for touching him and that he would go to heaven."