KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Local police have arrested Turkish academic Ismet Ozcelik for alleged links to the Islamic State (IS), after two men from Turkey were also nabbed over purported ties to the terror group.

Ozcelik’s lawyer Rosli Dahlan said he found the turn of events “surprising” after the 57-year-old was arrested yesterday afternoon.

“It is rather surprising that only now the police linked Ismet with IS,” Rosli told Malay Mail Online.

“He was remanded for 53 days until Feb 2017 and released on bail. There was nothing about IS then,” he said.

Ozcelik — a director of a Turkish university with a valid social visit pass initially expiring only this November 17 — had been arrested last December 13 for allegedly obstructing Immigration Department officers from carrying out their duty.

Rosli noted that Ozcelik’s arrest last year occurred after the Immigration Department officers — in plainclothes — tried to seize his passport. His client then was fearful of being abducted, deported and of being thrown into a Turkish prison like two of his friends in October.

The Turkish duo, Alettin Duman and Tamer Tibik, were reported missing in Malaysia on October 13 and were later reported to have been handed over to the Turkish government and have been detained without trial since then, Ozcelik’s lawyers said.

Ozcelik’s arrest comes after yet another two Turkish men — Turgay Karaman and Ihsan Aslan — were respectively reported to the police as abducted and missing on Tuesday, before it was revealed that they were under arrest.

Turgay was to be a witness in a two-day trial here against Ozcelik and four others from Wednesday onwards.

“At Ismet’s trial on [May 3] morning, we raised the point that the charge is defective and the case was postponed. On [May 3] afternoon, IGP [Inspector-General of Police] finally admitted Turgay was arrested and not abducted. Only later a statement was made about IS against Turgay.

“And now Ismet is re-arrested also on alleged links with IS. Why only now?” Rosli asked.

Ozcelik’s alleged second arrest and raid

According to Ozcelik’s lawyers, he was in a vehicle with his son Suheyl and another friend at 5.30pm yesterday when his arrest happened.

“They were stopped by 5 cars and swarmed by more than 20 who searched and seized their phones and took Ismet into their car. Suheyl and the other friend were not arrested but are uncontactable at the moment,” the lawyers said.

According to Ozcelik’s lawyers, five policeman had allegedly raided Suheyl’s house on Wednesday at 4pm when only the latter’s wife and their two toddler-age children were in the house.

The lawyers said the family is still in shock, claiming that five policemen came armed and broke down the door without giving Suheyl’s wife a chance to cover her aurat.

“They searched the whole house without any warrant and damaged many household items. The police seized his wife’s phone.

No search warrant was shown and no seizure form of acknowledgement was issued for items seized,” the lawyers said of the Wednesday afternoon raid.