Erdoğan escalates elimination of Gülenists from state [ with no proof of accusations]


Date posted: May 3, 2014

MURAT YETKİN

The Turkish government announced mass shifts and removals from office in 11 ministries, including the Treasury, on May 2. The changes involve at least 50 high rank public servants and a much greater number from the lower ranks.

It is not clear whether all those removed from their posts are sympathizers of Fethullah Gülen, the moderate Islamist cleric living in the U.S., who used to be a close ally of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan but who is now an arch enemy. But that is both the perception in society and the perception given by the government. When asked on Friday, Erdoğan reiterated that the government was determined to eradicate the “parallel structure” within the state (an expression Erdoğan uses for Gülenists). He said security teams had identified the names of those members employed in the Prime Ministry headquarters one by one, and added that the work was about to be completed in the Foreign Ministry.

In 2012, it was announced that two bugs had been found in Erdoğan’s home office, while in March 2014 recordings were leaked from the tapping of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s office during a secret security meeting on Syria with ranking military and intelligence officers. This is considered an act of espionage by the government.

On April 30, an Ankara prosecutor started a probe against Gülen over the establishment of a network to undermine the government. On the same day, another prosecutor started a probe against an undisclosed number of people over the secret transferring of data from the Turkish Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) to an undisclosed address (or addresses) in the U.S. That is also regarded as espionage, as the TİB is in charge of all legal telephone wiretaps. The TİB is now considered by the government to be a government agency infiltrated by Gülenists.

On May 1, the National Security Board (MGK) had its second meeting in two months, during which the methods of eliminating Gülenists from the state apparatus, especially from the judiciary, were discussed, along with other topics.

Then, on the afternoon of May 2, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) decided to open probes against three prosecutors and a judge from Istanbul. One of the prosecutors is Zekeriya Öz, who was the specially authorized prosecutor of anti-military cases such as Ergenekon and Balyoz. The other, Celal Kara, is the prosecutor of the Dec. 17, 2013 graft probe, the largest ever such probe in Turkey, which prompted Erdoğan to remove four ministers from the Cabinet. The third is Muammer Akkaş, who had started the Dec. 25 corruption operation. The judge Süleyman Karaçöl had frozen the assets of those who were arrested in relation to those corruption allegations.

Following the Erdoğan government’s changing of the HSYK law that allowed more political control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors, almost all have been removed from their posts, the freeze on assets has been lifted, and all those arrested have been released. In addition, on May 2 an Istanbul court dropped all charges against a group of suspects in the graft probe, including the son of the former urbanization minister.

Since the Dec. 17 graft probe, hundreds of prosecutors and judges and around 2,500 police officers who the government believes to be close to Gülen have been removed from their posts, and it seems that it is not going to stop there.

Source: Hurriyet Daily , May 3, 2014


Related News

Fethullah Gülen’s Lawyers: Gülen Movement Has No Link With Zarrab Case In US

The lawyers of US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen said on Tuesday that the Gülen movement has no link to the case of Iranian-Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab in the US.

‘I wanted to die during torture’ – teacher speaks on 2016 coup arrest

A report titled Mass Torture and Ill-Treatment in Turkey which was published in June 2017 by the Sweden-based Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF), declared that the torture, abuse, and ill-treatment of detainees and prisoners in Turkey have become the norm rather than the exception.

3,623 Aggravated Life Sentences Sought In Turkey For Scholar Fethullah Gülen

Turkish prosecutors, part of a judiciary strongly under the influence of Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have demanded 3,623 aggravated life sentences for Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the US.

Gulen movement becoming victim of its own legend

I don’t know whether they are aware of it, but a danger that needs to be taken very seriously awaits the Gulen movement. In the eyes of the Turkish society, which is believing of conspiracy theories, the Gulen movement is mythicized beyond its real dimensions. The power and influence of the Gulen movement is being so exaggerated that if no precautions are taken, this imagined power will one day destroy it.

Turkey wants NBA star jailed for insulting President Erdogan

A Turkish prosecutor asked for NBA’s New York Knicks star Enes Kanter to be jailed for up to four years for insulting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday.

GYV expresses concern over claims of government profiling of its citizens

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chairman is Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, released a statement on its website on Thursday in which it said it is worried about the profiling of citizens, civic groups and public employees.

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

It’s up to us: Prominent Muslims call for fight against IS

Romanian gov’t congratulates Turkish schools for international achievements

Fethullah Gülen’s Statement of Condolences and Condemnation for Manhattan Terrorist Attack

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

Syrian Refugees Blanket & Coat Drive

Fethullah Gülen undergoes successful cataract surgery

Whistleblower says gov’t preparing to close down Gülen-inspired schools

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News