Turkish police arrest preacher, followers for fraud

ISTANBUL: Turkish police arrested Islamic television preacher and author Adnan Oktar and more than 160 of his followers in dawn raids across Turkey on Wednesday, saying they were suspected of forming a criminal gang, fraud and sexual abuse. Officers from the financial crimes section carried out raids in five provinces and were still searching some properties, Istanbul police said in a statement.

Oktar runs his own television channel A9 on which he has hosted talk shows on Islamic values. On occasion he was broadcast dancing with young women he called “kittens” and singing with young men, his “lions”.