A National Security Council (MGK) plan — dated Aug. 24, 2004, titled the “Plan to Crack Down on the Fethullah Gülen Group in Turkey” and undersigned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ministers and military commanders of the time — is already being implemented.
Though the government claims it was not put into action, there are several indications to suggest that the MGK plan is in effect. 1) The plan says: Legal arrangements to bring about heavy sanctions for Gülen-affiliated institutions should be adopted. To this end, the government has made a plan to shut down prep schools and force Bank Asya into bankruptcy. 2) The plan says: Gülen’s group should be closely monitored by public servants who are assigned abroad. To this end, Prime Minister Erdoğan ordered ambassadors during the sixth Ambassadors’ Conference in January to talk about the “unlawful activities” of the Gülen group abroad. 3) The plan says: The Interior Ministry should be watchful of efforts by Gülen’s group to make new members. To this end, the ministry removed from duty around 6,000 police officers who reportedly are sympathetic toward the group and reassigned them to lower positions.
Terrorism may sound like the gravest of offenses, but in Turkey, the government misuses the charge for political ends. Many inmates are placed in lengthy pretrial detention or sentenced without evidence.
Stability in the post-Erdoğan era
In a BBC interview aired in late February, Fethullah Gülen once again spelled out the most important challenges for Turkey: establishing unity among diverse groups that include Alevis, Kurds and others; boosting educational opportunities for the young population; and tackling the long-running poverty problem in Turkey.
Coup and Countercoup in Turkey
The coup was doomed to fail from the beginning. To say it was amateurish would be insulting to all amateurs. Assuming there were some sympathizers of Gülen within the armed forces, the sheer size of the post-coup dismissals make absolutely no sense.
The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*
The Gülen approach to education aptly demonstrates the group’s global strategy—Gülen movement schools are open to both Turkish migrants and citizens of host countries, and they avoid advancing a religious agenda. These schools aim to help Turkish migrants succeed in their host societies without losing sight of their Turkish roots, and at the same time they promote social unity by serving the needs of migrants and local students alike. The success of Gülen movement schools stems both from the success of the students (and the satisfaction of the parents) and from the prestige and goodwill they enjoy among local and political authorities for promoting integration and acting as a social mediator.
Alevi, Sunni businessmen will finance joint prayer complex
İLYAS KOÇ, ANKARA The first joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) project in Turkey will be financed by businessmen from both parties, the head of the Hacı Bektaş Veli Culture, Education, Health and Research Foundation, Kemal Kaya, said on Thursday. The idea for such a project, which aims to strengthen will of peaceful coexistence, came […]
Let Mr. Erdogan Fight His Own Battles
Mr. Erdogan is trying to drag the United States into the argument by threatening to demand Mr. Gulen’s extradition to Turkey. Some experts say there is no legal basis for an extradition request because there are no charges or legal cases against Mr. Gulen, who has permanent-resident status and has lived in rural Pennsylvania since 1997.
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