As of 3rd September access to all news stories relating to the arrest of Uşşaki Cult Leader Fatih Nurullah’s sexual abuse of a 12 year old girl have been blocked in Turkey. Nurullah, who is known for his closeness with Erdogan and the AKP, is reported to have offered 70,000 Turkish Liras to the child’s father to silence them.
There have been a number of high profile exposes of religious schools and clerics abusing and raping children in Turkey. Such abuse is widespread across the country but it is common place for these to be covered up or buried by the authorities, or perpetrators are protected by Erdogan himself and his family members. The case of Fatih Nurullah is another example of the authorities and Erdogan protecting perpetrators of sexual violence and child abuse.