Serkan Golge

Serkan Golge (Serkan Gölge) is a Turkish-American scientist who is currently imprisoned in Turkey. He was an employee of the University of Houston, participating in NASA-contracted work. Contrary to considerable media coverage stating otherwise, Golge never was employed by NASA. He graduated from Fatih University and received his Ph.D. in physics from Old Dominion University in 2010. He became a naturalized US citizen the same year.^[1][2]

Golge was arrested by the Turkish government on July 23, 2016, on charges of participating in terrorism and conspiring against the government as a member of the Gülen movement, which Turkey designates the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization." Golge denies being a member of the Gülen movement or undertaking any anti-government activities. But on February 8, 2018, he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.^[3] The government in Ankara believes that the Gülen movement is at least partially responsible for the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and has arrested many of its members, followers and sympathizers, and suspected sympathizers, members and followers since the coup's failure in July 2016. Suspected conspirators have included judges, academics, and journalists.^{[4] [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

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