Islamic scholar Gülen rejects involvement with graft probe and wiretappings

Turkish and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen
Turkish and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen


Date posted: March 19, 2014

 

ISTANBUL

 

Fethullah Gülen said it would be morally unacceptable for him to stop, including people in his Hizmet (Service) Movement, probing corruption claims.

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has dismissed government accusations that he has orchestrated a graft probe while rejecting any involvement with recent online wiretapping leaks in the second part of an extensive interview with Today’s Zaman.

“I have said this before. I have no connection to those who organized these operations. I have repeatedly stated that I do not know any of them, but they continue to claim those prosecutors and police officers are linked to me,” Gülen was quoted as saying by Today’s Zaman March 18.

The U.S.-based scholar lamented that the government had sought to target those conducting investigations into corruption allegations, rather than those suspected of being involved in the graft scandal.

“Turkey launched a crackdown on those who investigated the corruption instead of on those who engaged in corrupt practices,” said Gülen, emphasizing that corruption was also contrary to Islam’s principles.

He also said it would be morally unacceptable for him to stop, including people in his Hizmet (Service) Movement, probing corruption claims.

“If among those who conducted the graft investigations were some people who might be connected to the Hizmet movement, was I supposed to tell these people, ‘Turn a blind eye to the corruption charges?’ It appears to me that some people were expecting me to do this. Did they expect me to do this? How can I say something that would ruin my afterlife? How else can I act?” he said.

Accusations on wiretapping without evidence

Gülen also rejected the latest accusations against his movement of wiretapping phone conversations of top government officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and a number of aides and businessmen close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in connection with the graft accusations.

Among the leaked voice recordings, an alleged conversation between Erdoğan and his son in the wake of the Dec. 17, 2013, raids caused a huge uproar, with both frantically discussing how to hide a huge amount of cash.

Erdoğan has directly rejected the authenticity of the recording, claiming that it was a “montage” and directly accused Gülen’s movement of being responsible for the leak.

“Given that no strong or convincing evidence is being presented on such a critical and delicate issue, it is fair to believe the accusers have something different in mind,” Gülen told Today’s Zaman regarding the accusations, adding that quite the contrary, he supported any investigations into illegal recordings.

“No matter what, those who relied on illegal methods to listen in on phone calls should be identified and brought to justice. This should be done regardless of the perpetrator’s identity and affiliation,” Gülen said. However, he also called on a side note for questioning those who make accusations against his movement.

“I believe complaining about the audio recordings, but also using some of them as part of election campaigning, is not reconcilable with ethical and legal principles,” Gülen said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily , March 19, 2014


Related News

Disabled teacher, husband removed from job as brothers under arrest

Fatma Koyun, a teacher with an 82 percent physical disability who was dismissed from his job as part of a post-coup investigation, says her husband as well as her brothers have been under arrest for months.

Ahmet Şık’s book and Ergenekon’s media campaign (2)

At that time, I knew only a few journalists who claimed Şık’s arrest was not because of his book but because of inconsistencies in the story he had told the judge. He claimed not to know any such people, but there was evidence he may have known and had relationships with Ergenekon suspects. Emre Uslu, […]

Deviation, crisis and opportunities…

The recent crisis going on between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and the Hizmet movement is indeed not just a struggle between the two actors. It means much more than that. This fight represents a struggle between democracy and autocracy, freedom and oppression and a harmonious society and a polarized society.

Gulen Slams Turkey Crackdown Before Erdogan Demands Extradition

The exiled cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating last year’s attempted coup charged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with seeking to silence critics, as the Turkish leader prepared to push for the preacher’s extradition in a White House meeting with Donald Trump.

Alevis demand equal citizenship, disappointed with the state

SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME, ABANT/TURKEY At the end of the three-day Abant Platform meeting on Alevi relations with Sunnis, one of the fragile fault lines of Turkish politics, Alevis raised their voices higher, demanding equal citizenship against the backdrop of several past and present disappointments with the state. The pursuit of the end of discrimination both at […]

Education [for Kurds] in mother tongue

The Wise People Commission has prepared a report on its two months of work and submitted it to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. What does Turkey — east and west — think about the settlement? What are the basic expectations and demands? How will concerns that the country could be partitioned be eliminated? Will Turkey […]

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

Medialog calls for law against hate speech and crime [in Turkey]

Media freedom in Turkey takes another blow

Exiled journalist warns of a genocide in the making in newly released book

Code ‘111′ profiling of ‘Hizmet’ on Parliament’s agenda

Kimse Yok Mu lends helping hand to 15,000 Syrians in Suruç

Her mother was detained right after her birth, she is now growing up in Athens

Clash of the Anatolian Tigers

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News