Is Turkey responsible for the kidnapping of a Kyrgyz teacher?
The founder of a network of educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan disappeared in Bishkek last month. On the evening of May 31, Orhan Inandi, 53, founder and chairman of the board of Sapat Educational Institutions, a vast network of prestigious schools and an international university in Kyrgyzstan, was reported missing after failing to return home to the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. The next day, investigators found his car, unlocked, with four flat tires and all valuables inside, intact. Local authorities have announced that they are investigating a possible kidnapping. However, on June 6, in a video posted to Twitter, Inandis wife Reyhan claimed that an anonymous source told her that her husband, who has dual Turkish-Kyrgyz nationality, was being held against his will. at the Turkish Embassy in Bishkek. She went on to say that her husband was forced to sign documents revoking his Kyrgyz citizenship in order to simplify his extradition process. Turkey Tribunal, a human rights group, also says it has information about Inandi who is being held at the embassy, and called NATO to put pressure on Turkey to release him. The Turkish embassy in Bishkek has denied these allegations. In 2019, the Turkish government accused Inandi, who has worked in Kyrgyzstan since 1995 and has been a citizen of the country since 2012, of links to the movement linked to the United States-based Sunni cleric Fethullah Glen. Persecution of the Glen movement  A former ally of the ruling AKP party in Turkey, Glen has become one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans main opponents since a corruption scandal rocked the party in late 2013, which Erdogan called a dirty judicial conspiracy loyal police and investigators. at Glen. The scandal led to a crackdown on the Glen movement and its supporters. It has since been described as a radical Islamist organization by the AKP-linked media and, in May 2016, was officially designated as a terrorist group by the Turkish government. That summer, a failed coup against Erdogan was blamed on the movement, precipitating yet another crackdown on members of the group  both in Turkey and abroad. Since then, Turkish nationals affiliated with the Glen movement have been arrested and extradited from places as far away as Kenya, Cambodia and Gabon. Back in Turkey, they face prosecution on false terrorism charges. On June 7, a day after Reyhan Inandi uploaded his video on her husbands plight, Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Aibek Artykbaev confirmed that the Turkish government had requested the extradition of Orhan Inandis in 2019. , a request that the Kyrgyz government rejected, citing Inandis Kyrgyz citizenship. . Some reports claim that following the extradition request, the Kyrgyz government offered Inandi a state-affected security feature, which the teacher refused. These details have exacerbated fears that Inandi may be effectively detained by Turkish authorities and risk extradition, arbitrary detention and an unfair trial. Some have compared the situation to the disappearance of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in  ironically  Istanbul. Small-scale protests have taken place in Bishkek, with people demanding that the Kyrgyz government properly investigate Onandiss disappearance. Orhan Inandi is a Kyrgyz citizen, explains Syinat Sultanalieva, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. Kyrgyzstan aspires to respect international human rights standards, and this is a clear case in which it is essential. If the Kyrgyz authorities do not recover Inandi from the place where he is being held against his will, they will be in breach of their obligations under international law and the Kyrgyz Constitution. A key partner  Probably coincidentally, on June 9, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov made his first official visit to Turkey, where he met Erdogan. When asked if Japarov raised the subject of the teachers disappearance with his Turkish counterpart, Japarovs spokesperson said that President Japarov asked his colleague Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Orhan Inandi, who had disappeared in Kyrgyzstan. Recep Tayyip Erdogan replied that he did not know him, that he had no information and that he did not want to hear anything from supporters of FETO. FETO  Fethullahist Terror Organization  is the Turkish governments designation for the Glen movement. Developments will tell a lot about the relations of the new president of Kyrgyzstan with Turkey. Since taking office last year, Japarov has identified Turkey as a key economic and security partner for Kyrgyzstan, as highlighted by his trip to Turkey last week. If the disappearance of Inandis is indeed the work of the Turkish secret service  and the evidence seems to support such a conclusion  the operation would probably have been carried out with at least the consent of the Kyrgyz authorities. If that were to be the case, then Japarov would be embroiled in a major human rights scandal  perhaps validating fears that his presidency could see a return to authoritarian and strong politics. Photo: Voice of Orhan Inandi. Unlike many news and information platforms,Emerging europeis free to read, and always will be. There is no paywall here. We are independent, neither affiliated nor represent any political party or business organization. We want the best for emerging Europe, no more, no less. Your support will help us continue to spread awareness of this incredible region. 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