The İpek family, well-known business figures in Turkey, has faced ongoing government persecution under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration. The targeting of the family stems from their association with the Hizmet movement, a global initiative promoting education and interfaith dialogue. The Turkish government has labeled the movement a terrorist organization following the failed coup attempt in 2016, despite international skepticism over the allegations.
The latest incident adds to the family’s ordeal. It was revealed that Melek İpek, imprisoned after the Turkish Supreme Court upheld her sentence on controversial charges, has now been prohibited from speaking by phone with her son Akın İpek, a prominent businessman and philanthropist living in exile in the United Kingdom.
Akın İpek addressed the ban on social media, expressing his dismay:
“They have even prohibited me from speaking to my beloved mother, Melek İpek, and receiving her blessings over the phone. This has gone beyond a matter of conscience—it’s now a question of sanity. I don’t even curse them—they’re simply not worth it.”
The İpek family’s plight highlights the broader crackdown on dissidents and perceived opponents of Erdoğan’s regime. Melek İpek was imprisoned after her sentence was upheld on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Her other son, Cafer Tekin İpek, has been incarcerated for nearly eight years, also accused of offenses linked to his family’s business activities and perceived political affiliations.
The family’s company, Koza İpek Holding, was forcibly seized by the Turkish government in 2015 as part of a broader campaign against individuals and businesses associated with the Hizmet movement. Observers, including human rights organizations, have criticized the ongoing persecution of the İpek family as part of a systematic effort to silence dissent and eliminate opposition to the government.
