AK Party provincial board member resigns after insults
Date posted: February 24, 2014
İSTANBUL
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İzmir provincial board member Emine Yenen has resigned from the party after being subjected to insults and discriminatory treatment by party members, Turkish news sources reported on Monday.
“At first there was the alienation and isolation of those labeled as ‘Gülenists’ within the [AK] Party. Then, we started to be labeled as members of a terrorist organization, and ‘hashashin.’ It had come to push and shove in the party. The accusations had reached an unacceptable level,” said Yenen.
Hashashins were hash-smoking hitmen who committed assassinations in the 11th century, giving rise to the English word “assassin.” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used the term in public last month in a thinly veiled reference to members of the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
“For my own self-respect I resigned from my position and from the party,” said Yenen, who is a doctor and a member of the Aegean International Health Federation (ESAFED) and is known for her volunteer work in several African countries.
Deutsche Welle: Power struggle between old friends in Turkey
Gülen argued that Muslims should work against “the decline of morality” in society, calling for conservative values like faith and family to be put before modern individualism – but always within the existing secular state structures.
Who is escalating tensions?
Whenever someone questions the government’s performance or flaws in Turkey, the Gülen movement is put under the spotlight. And whenever there is a mass protest, the Gezi figures and Alevis are accused of being behind it.
Erdoğan’s house of cards
In a long statement, the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chair is Gülen, has called on the government to submit whatever evidence it has on conspiracies, such as those involving a “deep state” and “parallel structures” as well as accusations of “treason,” “espionage” and “collaboration with international powers” against the interests of Turkey. In other words, Gülen is standing firm and not blinking in the face of Erdoğan’s preposterous threats.
Time For Gulen Movement To Leave Turkey?
Turkey is a hell for people inspired by teachings of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is residing in rural Pennsylvania. Participants of the movement always say that their dream is way big to fit in the constraints of Turkey. Perhaps it is time to jump out of these constraints. At least for now.
Rule of law(lessness) in Turkey?
It turned out that I was overly optimistic, for I did not want to believe that a prime minister who bravely fought the old, authoritarian establishment in the people’s name for years could have changed so much, adopting just the same behavior we were subjected to in the past. I had thought that those bitter experiences were only a distant memory. Unfortunately, I was wrong — terribly so.
Intel chief first gives anti-Hizmet file to Obama, then visits Gülen, STV president Karaca says
Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan gave a file containing a plan to finish off the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen to US President Barack Obama and then the MİT head visited Gülen at his home in Pennsylvania, Samanyolu Media Group Chief Hidayet Karaca stated on Tuesday.
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