Gülen’s lawyers slam Erdoğan’s ‘slanderous’ unsolved murders remarks

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen is seen at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, Sept. 24, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Selahattin Sevi)
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen is seen at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, Sept. 24, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Selahattin Sevi)


Date posted: December 13, 2014

The lawyers of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen have denounced recent statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in which he held the Hizmet movement responsible for some unsolved murders in Turkey.

In a statement released on Saturday, the lawyers termed Erdoğan’s statements as slanderous and “far from intelligence and conscience.”

“It has been once again understood that in the new Turkey, investigations are being carried out at lecterns where political sermons are given or at the pool media [which is created through funds raised by various pro-government businessmen to protect the government’s interests] instead of prosecutor’s offices. It should not be forgotten that, in the next phase of this situation is that verdicts will be given by the presidency, not courts,” the statement said.

Amidst rumors that the government plans to detain some 150 Hizmet-affliated journalists in a police operation, Erdoğan claimed on Friday that members of the movement are “even implicated in unsolved murders.” “You will see more shocking things,” he added.

Referring to Erdoğan’s earlier accusations and insults targeting the movement, Gülen’s lawyers said the public heard “really shocking things from the president so far.” “Yet his remarks make it clear that it will be a reality of the new Turkey to blame and target people with police operations without any legal and moral criteria,” the lawyers said.
They also vowed to take legal action against Erdoğan’s “slanderous” remarks.

Since a major corruption investigation launched in December of last year, which implicated government ministers and Erdoğan’s inner circle, Erdoğan has declared a “war” against Hizmet. He insulted members of the faith-based movement numerous times and directed serious accusations at them. He invented the term “parallel structure” to refer to followers of the Hizmet movement that was inspired by Gülen, particularly followers within the state bureaucracy.

The president, who was then prime minister, framed the corruption investigation as a “plot against his government” by the Hizmet movement and foreign collaborators. He has so far failed to prove his claims.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 13, 2014


Related News

Georgetown University in Qatar professor authors book on interfaith dialogue, Hizmet Movement

Father Thomas Michel in his new book titled “Peace and Dialogue in a Plural Society: Contributions of the Hizmet Movement at a Time of Global Tensions” explores how Fethullah Gulen and his movement are one of those voices speaking most vocally in favor of a world community, where different faiths and nations can come together at one table to solve the multitude of problems facing today’s world.

GYV slams government attempt to silence critics with recent measures

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) expresses that the interim Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is continuing to use terror cases in an attempt to silence critical press.

Vision-impaired journalist, under arrest for 7 months, denied access to Braille books in prison

Visually impaired Turkish journalist Cüneyt Arat, under arrest over alleged ties to the Gulen movement since July, last year, has said in a letter that he was denied access to Braille books as well as audio-described movies.

Erdogan set up Maarif Foundation to seize Hizmet-inspired Turkish Schools

Despite tremendous efforts exerted by the government, only a few countries have given in to pressure from Ankara over the shutdown of Hizmet-linked schools, with a majority of them refusing to meet the demands of the Turkish government.

Turning wedding excess into act of charity

The average wedding in the United States costs about $28,400. Ours was $7 — the $2 license, $5 for a Justice of Peace, plus gas for the car we eloped in. This fall we will have been married 66 years, which comes out to about 11 cents a year, if you include the gas.

Back to school in Turkey after post-coup teacher purge

As more than 18 million children began the new term after the summer break, Huseyin Ozev, president of the Istanbul teachers’ union, told AFP there were fears the academic year would begin with “chaos” because of huge staff shortages.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Dialogue Eurasia: Humanitarian Davos

Woman miscarries twins after arrest, struggles for her life in prison

Gülen’s Statement of Condemnation for Terrorist Attack Against the Coptic Christian Community in Egypt

Kimse Yok Mu heals the wounds of flood victims in Sudan

A private Turkish university opens in northern Iraq

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Fethullah Gülen’s response to the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News