Caliphate calls at Palestine protest: Tantan warns of 'imperialism'

Former Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan reacted to the display of a Caliphate flag at a pro-Palestine protest and the subsequent arrest of Ege Akersoy.

Pro-Caliphate banners were unfurled during the pro-Palestine march on the Galata Bridge. Furthermore, 'The Caliphate is Coming' was shared on Hizb-ut Tahrir pages. It was alleged that a young man punched İsmail Aydemir, who was returning from the march carrying a Kelime-i Tevhid flag, after calling him an "Arab lover." Citizens who witnessed the physical altercation attempted to separate the two. Ege Akersoy, who was taken into custody by police teams, was arrested by the court to which he was referred following his processing at the police station.

Former Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan evaluated the events that occurred in succession in a single day via social media. Warning of an 'imperialism project,' Tantan wrote the following:

“While reacting to developments in the Middle East that we do not approve of, the fact that this leads to polarizing consequences domestically harms Turkey. Turkey must not fall into the traps set by imperialism and must learn from past experiences.

“The foundation of Turkey's Islamic tradition is based on the Yesevi Lodge in Turkestan. According to research commissioned by Atatürk from Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ziya Yörükan in the early years of the Republic, the Turkish people do not possess a reactionary understanding, but rather an understanding that stems from the Yesevi Lodge.

The Anatolian Yeast, kneaded with thousands of years of tradition, is the greatest strength of these lands. Those who want to divide Turkey have been defeated by the power of the Anatolian Yeast for years, and they will continue to be. Dragging Turkey into religion-based debates is an imperialism project!

The Turkish Nation will never allow the reactionary understanding imposed by imperialism. The images seen during the arrest of a university student as a result of today's flag debate have revealed that there is a political aspect to the matter.

Wahhabism, the Taliban, and similar religious impositions can never take root in Turkey. No power can defeat the thousands-year-old Anatolian Yeast. No formation or movement that polarizes society or damages the Turkish Identity can be seen as legitimate.

The detention to which university student Ege Akersoy was subjected is inconsistent with the principle of the rule of law. The individuals in the background who caused the incident to escalate and those who make posts that damage the Turkish identity must not escape attention."