Applicants affiliated with CHP, Hizmet movement face discrimination


Date posted: February 17, 2014

ANKARA

Following the tension between the government and the Hizmet movement — inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — the government has based its recruitment policy on “color lists” to avoid employing people affiliated with some groups such as the Hizmet movement and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the public sector, a Turkish daily claimed on Monday.

“In the new system, members of the Hizmet movement, sympathizers of the CHP, those who took part in Gezi Park demonstrations and Kurds are placed in the red list,” according to a report in the daily Taraf.

The names of those applicants who should not be granted employment are put in the red list, while blue and green lists contain names of approved candidates, the report maintains. “In particular, blue lists are made up of those candidates who may be part of the core of the [Justice and Development Party] AKP. Those closely affiliated with the AKP and those who were “brought up” by the National Youth Foundation [MGV] are put in this list,” the daily said.

Tensions between the government and the Hizmet movement were exacerbated after the government announced that it would take steps to transform prep schools — no small number of which are operated by the movement — which would ensure that a great majority of prep schools in Turkey to be closed down.

Public sector employees are selected following a two-stage process. In the first stage, candidates sit for the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), and those who pass are invited to attend an oral examination.

“In oral exams, references [a candidate would provide] are influential [in assuring the candidate employment]. In past years, lists [containing names of those candidates to be offered employment in a given public institution] used to be provided by the Office of the Prime Minister, the AK Party headquarters and the ministries. The Gezi Park demonstrations and tensions [between the government and] the Hizmet movement has caused the way the lists [are being prepared] to be changed,” the daily said.

According to the new method adopted, candidates who apply to work in the public sector are categorized as red, green and blue in an effort to avoid protests from the public. Alleging that these lists are handed out to members of the exam commission, the report said: “For example, 300 applicants are invited for an interview for 100 inspector positions. Out of the 300 people, 100 candidates are listed on the green list, 50 are on the blue and 150 on the red list. Members of the commission give points to candidates based on the color of the list.”

“Those whose name appears in the red list have no chance of being offered employment in the public sector,” the report said. Claiming that members of the exam commission give bad marks to those who they want to eliminate, the report said that “he blue list is composed of those people who are devoted to the AKP and Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan.” People who will serve in critical positions are selected from this list.

The green list contains those who are not politically engaged and whose employment would not pose any inconvenience, according to the report.

The report maintained that such a practice, described as “cloaked profiling,” has already been employed in the selection of candidates for many public institutions, including in the Tax Inspection Board which is subordinated to the Ministry of Finance. “The Tax Inspection Board is alleged to have made use of color lists in the recruitment of inspectors employed in the last quarter of the previous year,” said the report, which further alleged that in the Ministry of Finance, it is said that a lot of applicants who got good grades at the exam were eliminated from the application process since their names appeared on the red list.

Source: Todays Zaman , February 17, 2014


Related News

Dismissed after coup attempt, teacher detained during visit to imprisoned relative

Malatya teacher C.K., earlier dismissed from his/her post as part of the government’s post-coup purge, was taken into custody during a visit to his/her jailed relative on Saturday.

Myanmar-based family abducted by Turkish embassy from Yangon airport

Myanmar-based education professional M. Furkan Sökmen and his family were detained yesterday at the Yangon International Airport while trying to board a flight to Bangkok. the teacher said the Turkish ambassador to Myanmar had pressured police to confiscate the family’s passports.

Corruption, Stigmatization, and Innocence

Unfortunately, the Hizmet Movement as one of the leading civilian movements contributing to intercultural dialogue and peace in the world has been labeled as one of the players to destabilize Turkey by the pro-government press too.

American pastor jailed over Gülen links asks Trump to fight for his release

An American pastor who has been jailed on bogus terrorism charges in Turkey for more than five months has asked US President Donald Trump to help secure his release. Pastor Brunson has no known ties to terrorist groups, and the Turkish government has not produced any evidence to show that he does.

Members of US Congress withstand intense pressure over press freedom letter

Members of the US Congress who submitted a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry last month on the dismal state of media freedom in Turkey are standing firm behind their signatures despite intense pressure from the Turkish government and the pro-government media.

Gülen: I hope they avoid the adventures of the Union and Progress Party

In his speech commemorating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, the influential Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen spoke on the topics of the ongoing persecution of the Hizmet Movement, and major developments in Turkey’s agenda.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

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

In Case You Missed It

US Professor Carter: Gülen struggles for peace against poverty and terrorism

Women gather for UN development agenda in İstanbul

US law professor: Erdoğan’s talk of Gülen extradition ‘foolishness’

Biden says US courts to decide on Gülen’s extradition

Alleged Hizmet link in Hablemitoğlu murder a lie, says widow

Hizmet and self-criticism

Turkish Olympiad finals held all around the globe in prestigious venues in a variety of cities

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News