Turkish TV preacher, disciples detained on sex abuse charges
Televangelist Adnan Oktar, who sparked both imaginations and outrage with his unconventional blend of sexuality with Islamic doctrine over decades, is accused of organized crime, espionage, sexual assault and more.
Turkish police detained an eccentric religious leader and hundreds of his devotees on Wednesday on charges ranging from spying to sex abuse, thrilling one ex-disciple who described the group as a cult that imprisons its followers.
Adnan Oktar, a 62-year-old televangelist whose adherents include buxom beauties and young men in tailored suits, was detained in a pre-dawn raid at his Istanbul home, part of operations conducted in five provinces across the country to apprehend 235 suspects, reported the state-run Anadolu news agency. All 235 suspects have had their assets seized and the state has appointed administrators to run affiliated companies.
