Islamic scholar Gülen sues interior minister over coup accusation


Date posted: January 30, 2014

ANKARA

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has sued Interior Minister Efkan Ala for 50,000 Turkish Liras, over Ala’s remarks insinuating that he was seeking to topple the government.

Ala stirred debate with a speech on Jan. 27 in which he staunchly defended Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accusing Gülen of attempting to stage a coup.

“You say stop to a leader who said ‘one minute’ to the international colonial order. Who are you? How come you revolt and attempt to stage a coup,” Ala said.

Lawyers representing the U.S.-based scholar said that although the interior minister did not mention Gülen’s name in his speech, the Islamic scholar was clearly the target of his words.

“Making efforts to set people up against one another and stir hostility by expressing those words is a behavior morally unacceptable,” lawyer Nurullah Albayrak said.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had repeatedly accused the Gülen movement of orchestrating the damaging graft probes in which four ministers have been implicated.

Albayrak described the accusations as “slander,” saying that Cabinet members were trying to convert Gülen into a target.

“Regardless of their purpose, the words used by the defendant are a heavy and unfair attack on the personal rights [of Gülen],” he added.

Erdoğan has repeatedly denounced the existence of a “parallel state,” referring to Gülen’s followers, who are known to hold key positions inside the police and the judiciary and who allegedly take decisions upon the movement’s orders.

The government has responded to the graft scandal with a massive purge within the police department and among prosecutors. It has also stepped up the preparation of a judicial bill that has drawn controversy for increasing the executive’s control over the judiciary.

Efkan Ala had replaced Muammer Güler, whose son is still under custody as part of the graft investigation, following a Cabinet reshuffle Dec. 25.

Source: Hurriyet Daily , January 30, 2014


Related News

‘Islam and I’

The number of books written by Western academics on Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s ideas and Hizmet, the faith-based social movement he has inspired, is growing.

American reporters got an intriguing glimpse into the political mind-set in Turkey

Turkish leaders said they were astonished that they had so far been unsuccessful in persuading the United States Justice Department to even ask a federal judge to extradite Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish government said it had provided the United States with extensive proof against Mr. Gulen, who has denied involvement. But Turkish officials refused in several interviews to publicize a single piece of that evidence.

Sajjanhar: Dialogue urges one to excel in one’s own faith

Ashok Sajjanhar, the Secretary of the Indian Interior Ministry’s National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), in a statement he made during a workshop organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (GYV) Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADİP), indicated that involvement in dialogue work encourages one to learn one’s faith more profoundly.

Şifa University rector says gov’t move to shut down hospitals won’t affect education

İzmir-based Şifa University Rector Professor Mehmet Ateş has said a recent decision by the İzmir Governor’s Office to shut down the university’s additional outpatient polyclinics in the province will not affect education at the university’s main campus.

Turkish President Gül: Turkish schools abroad largest non-state project

11 June 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM Turkish President Abdullah Gül has said Turkish schools abroad are the largest non-state project Turkey has ever seen, noting that the schools’ value will only increase in the future. Organizers and participants in the 10th International Turkish Olympiads presented the Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey Turkish Language Award to the president, who […]

Reporters Without Borders urges Turkey to rescind draconian state of emergency decrees

Two months after responding to a coup attempt by declaring a state of emergency, the Turkish government continues to target journalists, pluralism and freedom of information. RSF is today publishing a reportthat details the many abuses and urges the government to return to democratic principles.

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

After The Coup Attempt, A Crackdown In Turkey

New Mother Detained Over Alleged Gülen Links Despite Doctor’s Objection In Turkey

EU anti-terror chief: Gülen network not terrorist organization

A peace and dialogue conference in Kyrgyzstan

Turkey’s accused – Tragic stories of the purged

Germany informs Gülen sympathizers about Turkish Intel surveillance

Ban Ki-moon (UN Secretary General) sent a message to IFLC

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News