Former professional soccer player Zafer Biryol has been detained as part of an investigation initiated by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of the post-coup crackdown
The Terror and Organized Crime Bureau of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a detention warrant for the former athlete, accusing him of using ByLock, an encrypted messaging app. Ankara says ByLock is a communication tool for the Gülen movement, a transnational civic initiative inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The government designates the movement as a terrorist organization and blames it for Turkey’s July 15, 2016 coup attempt, a charge the movement denies. Acting on the prosecutor’s instructions, police detained Biryol and brought him to police headquarters, where he is reportedly being processed on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
Biryol previously won the top goal scorer title in the Turkish Super Lig during the 2003-2004 season, scoring 25 goals in 33 matches while playing for Konyaspor.
