German gov’t dismisses parliamentary question on Hizmet


Date posted: March 20, 2014

BERLIN

The German federal government dismissed a parliamentary question about the faith-based Hizmet movement, underlining that the movement hasn’t been involved in any illegal acts that threaten the foundations of the democratic and constitutional order in the EU country. 

 

The question was submitted in the Bundestag by the Left Party, known for its sympathies for the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its related organizations in Germany.

Responding to the parliamentary question, the German government, which is led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that an extensive assessment of the faith-based movement’s organizations and foundations in Germany had failed to find any evidence of involvement in any wrongdoing or illegal activity.

The Left Party’s parliamentary question asked about the level of cooperation between the German government and Hizmet-affiliated organizations in a number of fields, from education to media and intercultural dialogue.

The Left Party asked whether the Hizmet movement and its followers undermine the basic foundations of the plural and democratic constitution, gender equality, freedom of conscience, separation of powers and freedom of education. “There is no indication showing that the Fethullah Gülen movement is against the plural and democratic constitution,” the government said in response.

The parliamentary question brings the Hizmet movement’s activities in Germany into the spotlight, with the government saying that the movement centers its activities on interfaith dialogue, education and business cooperation forums.

Praising the work of the movement, the government also had good words for Pangea Wettbewerb, an organization supported by the German Ministry of Education that holds competitions in math to pursue its mission of fostering education and assisting students in their studies. The Pangea Mathematics Competition (Pangea Mathematikwettbewerb, http://www.pangea-wettbewerb.de) is nationally recognized competition in Germany and enjoys the support of distinguished scholars.

The government also said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who visited Germany one month ago, only shared his point of view about the latest developments in Turkey. The government also rejected the claim that Erdoğan had presented documents about the movement to German officials.

Source: Todays Zaman , March 20, 2014


Related News

Dozens detained in gov’t witch-hunt against Gülen movement

As part of an escalating witch-hunt against groups affiliated with the Gülen movement, the police have arbitrarily detained dozens of people across the country, including human rights defenders and philanthropists, using bullying tactics and unlawfully cuffing law-abiding citizens.

It’s not about a conflict between the government and Hizmet movement

Insanity ripples through the country, the media and the people. If graft or corruption is the prevailing form of life spreading from the state to society, and if this form of life is supported by people, then we are hitting the bottom day by day. A prosecutor can say “We can detain 500 thousand people if necessary” and still hold his post as if he said quite an ordinary thing. Whereas in Europe mental health of such a prosecutor would be called into question and most probably examined.

Reports of en masse wiretappings denied by prosecutors

Pro-government newspaper reports claiming thousands of people were wiretapped by prosecutors as part of an investigation into an unfamiliar terrorist group have been denied by both prosecutors who handled the investigation.

Despite pressure, Pak-Turk schools won’t be shut

Clearing the ambiguities surrounding the closure of Pak-Turk Schools in Pakistan, the principal of the institute’s Raiwand branch has said the educational institutions will not be closed down on the pressure of the Turkish government.

Officials involved in illegal deportation of Turkish teachers indicted by Kosovar court

A court in Pristina has accepted the indictment of three officials involved in the illegal deportation of six Turkish teachers to Turkey on March 29, 2018, Turkish Minute reported.

Government purges police officers who exposed massive corruption

Since the corruption and bribery investigation into businessmen and senior government officials, including four then-ministers, went public on Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2013, thousands of police officers have been removed from their posts and reassigned to other positions because of alleged links to the Hizmet movement.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Scholars: Misconceptions of Islam still abound

Int’l symposium in Washington D.C. to discuss Hizmet’s contribution to world peace

Hundreds of young Turkish children jailed alongside their moms as part of a post-coup crackdown

Eid joy of Venezuelan orphans

Fethullah Gulen’s statement on World Press Freedom Day

GYV to deliver awards to peace projects

Kimse Yok Mu President: We are not leaving Somalia

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News