Turkey accuses Finland-based teacher of terrorism

A Turkish national living in Finland has been formally accused of terrorism by Ankara, according to an investigation by Yle MOT. The man, identified only as Hasan for security reasons, fled Turkey in 2018 after being sentenced to over six years in prison for alleged ties to the Gülen movement, which the Turkish government labels a terrorist organisation.

Hasan, a former teacher, was among thousands dismissed from their jobs following the failed 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. His school, linked to the Gülen movement, was shut down, and he was later detained after police found a one-dollar bill—claimed by Turkish authorities to be a secret marker of Gülenist affiliation—along with books by movement leader Fethullah Gülen and traces of the Bylock messaging app on his phone.

In 2018, after a court upheld his six-year, three-month sentence, Hasan fled across the Turkish-Greek border by rubber boat before authorities could imprison him. He sought refuge in Finland, drawn by its education system, and eventually secured residency for himself and his family. He learned Finnish, found stable work in social and healthcare services, and believed he had left his past behind.

But in 2025, Hasan received official notice that Turkey had submitted an extradition request to Finland’s Ministry of Justice, citing his original conviction. The request detailed “evidence” including the dollar bill, book ownership, and newspaper subscriptions. MOT has reviewed the case documents, which confirm Turkey’s demand for Hasan’s return to serve his sentence.

Finland, like most Western nations, has repeatedly rejected such requests. Under Finnish law, extradition is not granted for acts that are not criminal offences in Finland, and courts have found no basis to prosecute Gülenists under local terrorism laws. The Ministry of Justice ultimately dismissed Turkey’s claim in Hasan’s case, affirming he had not violated Finnish law.

“I knew I was safe in Finland,” Hasan told MOT. “Finland accepted me and my family. They told us: you can live here in peace.”

Turkey’s pursuit of dissidents abroad has intensified since the 2016 coup attempt. By 2023, Ankara had filed over 1,000 extradition requests globally, with Finland receiving seven in 2022 and 12 in 2023—most targeting alleged Gülenists. While the EU and UK have largely rejected these claims, citing insufficient evidence of terrorist activity, some countries, including Bulgaria and Kosovo, have complied.

Hasan’s case highlights the reach of Turkey’s crackdown, which relies on intelligence networks to track down critics living abroad. For now, Finland’s legal protections have shielded him from extradition, but the threat lingers for others in similar situations.