It has been claimed that the assets of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the former chairperson of the main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) have been sequestrated following a court case filed after he called SADAT (International Defense, Consultancy and Construction Industry and Trade Inc.) ‘a paramilitary organization’.
In a post on his social media account, SADAT Board of Directors Chairperson Melih Tanrıverdi stated that Kılıçdaroğlu had lost a compensation case for 1 million lira, which had been filed following his statements about their company.
Tanrıverdi went on to claim that all Kılıçdaroğlu’s properties and bank accounts have been sequestrated because he failed to pay the compensation for a year and a half.
What happened?
On 13 May 2022, Kılıçdaroğlu had went to the SADAT Headquarters in the Beylikdüzü district of Istanbul and said in his statement there, “SADAT, the company we stand before now, is a paramilitary organization... This institution trains terrorists”.
Following this statement, SADAT had announced that it was filing a 1-milion-lira compensation case against Kılıçdaroğlu.
What is SADAT?
International Defense, Consultancy and Construction Industry and Trade Inc., or SADAT Inc. is a military consultancy company based in Turkey. It was founded on 28 February 2012 by retired Brigadier General Adnan Tanrıverdi.
Their mission, as stated by the company on its website, “is to establish a Defense Collaboration and Defense Industry Cooperation among Islamic Countries to help Islamic World take the place where it merits among Superpowers by providing Strategic Consultancy, Defense and Security Training and Supply Services to Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces of Islamic Countries.”
What does the company do: The company states that it provides services such as military and internal training, defense consultancy and ammunition purchase in the international field.
The company’s training courses and educational packages include “Land Operations”, “Sharpshooter Training”, “Protection Courses Training”, “Demolition Training”, “Unconventional Warfare”, “Advanced Individual Combat Training”, “Artillery Forward Observer Training” and “Tank/Armored Vehicle Destruction Training”.
Staff: The company employs 50 to 200 retired Turkish Armed Forces employees from various branches and areas of specialization.
The company provides services including consultancy, training, conventional military training, unconventional military training, special forces training and military logistics.
SADAT Inc. has a sister company called ASSAM, also founded by Adnan Tanrıverdi, which is political in nature, and runs a strategic research center.
Claims about SADAT: Former İYİ Party [Good Party] Chairperson Meral Akşener has previously stated that she received information that armed training camps had been established in Konya and Tokat and requested an investigation.
It had previously been reported that 2800 people received ‘unconventional warfare’ training at training camps opened by SADAT at various locations.
SADAT had also made the news in 2018 during the Afrin operation when it was claimed that the company helped the Free Syrian Army and that its members took to the streets in 2016 during the failed coup attempt to clash with military personnel.
(RT/NHRD)
