He faced 8,463 years in prison: Adnan Oktar's assets transferred to the Treasury

The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation completed its appellate review of the Adnan Oktar armed criminal organization case and reached a verdict in July. Accordingly, the total sentence of 8,463 years and 4 months of imprisonment handed down to Adnan Oktar for crimes including establishing and managing a criminal organization, sexual abuse, sexual assault, obstruction of the right to education, and deprivation of liberty was upheld.

61 luxury cars and 17 villas used by the Adnan Oktar organized crime group were transferred to the Treasury by court order. Assets determined to belong to the organization, with a total value estimated at at least 2 billion Turkish Lira, have also passed to the state. With this decision, the financial resources owned by Oktar and his organization have come entirely under the control of the Treasury.

Since the mid-1980s, numerous investigations and lawsuits have been filed against Oktar and the group that calls themselves his 'disciples' for various crimes, including making statements contrary to secularism, establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, forcible detention, and possession of narcotics.

While some of these lawsuits and investigations against Oktar were inconclusive or became time-barred, those in which he was sentenced to prison were later appealed.

During these processes, at least three reports were also prepared at different times stating that Oktar had a mental disorder.

There are at least three known psychiatric reports regarding Oktar to date. The first of these is a medical board report obtained from Şişli Hospital in 1983. The board that examined Oktar here diagnosed him with "schizoid personality disorder" and expressed the opinion that he was not fit to continue his education.

The date of the second report is 1985. In this report prepared by a Health Board at Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Oktar was diagnosed as "paranoid".

In 1988, during the trial at the State Security Court, the court panel requested that the Council of Forensic Medicine prepare a report regarding Oktar's mental health.

The resulting report stated that Oktar, who was diagnosed as "paranoid," was not of sound mind and lacked criminal liability.

First detention in 1986

Adnan Oktar began to come to the public's attention, especially in the mid-1980s, with his organizing activities in private schools and his remarks in interviews given to various media outlets.

He was detained in March 1986 on charges of "making statements contrary to Atatürkism and secularism" due to remarks he made in an interview.

In his statement to the State Security Court (DGM) prosecutor, he said that his mental balance had been disrupted due to excessive reading and that he was receiving treatment. In his statement to journalists after leaving the interrogation, he stated that he did not advocate for the arrival of Sharia and that he had been misunderstood.

This investigation was closed with a decision of non-prosecution, and Oktar was released after being held for one day.

Second investigation 6 months later

However, this detention further increased the media's interest in Oktar. At that time, interviews with Oktar and members of the group who called themselves "disciples" began to appear in newspapers one after another.

One of the newspapers featuring these interviews was Bulvar. Between June 21 and July 3, the newspaper began publishing a series of articles titled "Why did we believe in Adnan Hoca," which also included interviews with Oktar and some group members.

An investigation was launched once again due to the words "There is no Turkish nation, there is an Islamic nation" uttered by Oktar in the June 30 edition of this series.

The DGM prosecutor's office issued a seizure order for the June 30 issue of Bulvar newspaper. An investigation was launched on the grounds that these words of Oktar were "propaganda of a nature that weakens Atatürk's nationalism."

A lawsuit was filed against Oktar and the newspaper's owner, Nazlı Ilıcak, demanding heavy imprisonment of between 7.5 and 15 years. Oktar was detained to have his statement taken and was later arrested and sent to prison. During the same period, a second lawsuit was filed against Oktar for engaging in activities contrary to secularism, and the two cases were later merged.

Last operation carried out in 2018

On July 11, 2018, an operation was carried out by the Financial Crimes Investigation Branch of the Istanbul Police Department against Oktar and his group in five provinces centered in Istanbul.

The number of people against whom the operation was launched was announced as 235. Within the scope of the investigation, 187 people were detained. 168 of these individuals were arrested.

In the 3,908-page indictment prepared, the group is defined as the 'Adnan Oktar Armed Criminal Organization.' The indictment includes 24 separate charges against 226 suspects and a total of 125 victims-complainants within the scope of the case.

In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Bureau of Terrorism and Organized Crimes, Oktar is defined as the founder of the organization. In addition to Oktar, 12 other suspects are accused of being organization leaders.

The charges against the suspects include "Attempting political or military espionage," "Establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes," "Being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing crimes," "Aiding an organization established for the purpose of committing crimes without being a member," and "Sexual abuse."