Adnan Oktar

Adnan Oktar (Turkish: Adnan Oktar), who wrote under the pen name Harun Yahya, was a Turkish author and preacher born in 1956. He led a religious community with close ties that began in the 1980s when he was a student in Istanbul. The group produced books, short films, and television programs distributed in many languages.

He became best known for a movement opposing evolutionary theory. Books published under the Harun Yahya name argued that life was created by God and that evolutionary theory lacked scientific foundation. In early 2007, a large illustrated book titled the Atlas of Creation was sent unsolicited to schools, universities, and journalists in Europe and the United States, sparking widespread debate in scientific and educational media.

Origins and organization of the group

Oktar began gathering students from wealthy Istanbul families. The group operated under strict discipline: shared housing, continuous contact with the leader, and distinctive dress and appearance. In the 1980s and 1990s he faced multiple lawsuits and investigations, including charges related to mental health care and various criminal allegations; some were dismissed or reduced.

Media and A9 TV

From 2011 onward, Oktar used a television channel called A9 TV to reach a broad audience directly. Programs mixed religious, political, and Israel- and Jewish-focused discussions, hosted by young women dressed in a particular style whom he called 'workers.' This broadcast approach made the channel widely discussed in Turkey and internationally, and it was criticized for using psychological and persuasion techniques to recruit new members. The channel was later shut down as part of legal action.

Lawsuits and convictions

In July 2018, Turkish police conducted a large-scale raid on Oktar and many members of his group. Charges included forming and leading a criminal organization, financial fraud, abuse, sexual assault, and abuse of people under control. In 2021 a court sentenced him to multiple centuries of imprisonment combined; after appeal, the sentence was increased to thousands of years of combined imprisonment. Many group members were also convicted. Such large sentence totals arise from Turkey's legal system, which imposes separate sentences for each distinct crime.

Influence

Books published under the Harun Yahya name were translated into numerous languages and distributed free through mosques, schools, and the internet. European scientific organizations, including the Council of Europe, warned against efforts to introduce creationist ideas into school curricula. However, many Islamic scholars and organizations distanced themselves from him, critiquing his methods and his use of religion. His case is cited in discussions of religiously motivated groups with authoritarian leadership and how satellite media and the internet facilitated the spread of such ideas.