AK Party founder: I don’t believe claims of parallel state

Yaşar Yakış, former foreign minister and a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
Yaşar Yakış, former foreign minister and a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)


Date posted: October 15, 2014

SALİH KARACA / BRUSSELS

Yaşar Yakış, former foreign minister and a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), criticized the party on Monday, saying he does not believe in the existence of a “parallel state,” a term used by the AK Party to describe followers of the faith-based Hizmet movement, which the government alleges to have formed an illegitimate structure within the state.

Speaking to the private Cihan news agency in Brussels, Yakış said the AK Party is very different from how it was at the time of its establishment. “I can no longer see the ideals that motivated us as we formed the party,” Yakış said.

Commenting on recent government restrictions on the activities of the Turkish charitable association Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?), Yakış said, “It looks odd to me that we are prescribing the activities of civil society through laws.” The former minister added that he cannot see any illegality in Kimse Yok Mu’s works.

Commenting on Turkey’s sluggish accession negotiations with the European Union, Yakış said the current situation has not arisen suddenly and continued: “The developments in Turkey, and the EU taking time to consider them, have led to a slowing of the process. Other reasons later increased this delay.”

Touching on the fact that the Turkish public has lost interest in EU membership, Yakış stated that it would be wrong for Turkey to abandon its EU bid. According to Yakış, Turkey has achieved many reforms in its economy and other fields with the help of the EU negotiation process.

Source: BGN NEWS , October 13, 2014

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Gülen’s Lawyer Albayrak: Evidence fabricated to lay psychological ground for legal case

The main goal of the black propaganda raised against Gülen is to fabricate evidence for a case against Gülen and members of the Hizmet movement. The ultimate goal, he further argues, is to ensure that the movement is classified as an organized crime syndicate. The black propaganda reports will be used as evidence to substantiate the allegations.

Pro-AKP media flop as corruption charges swell

This may be a Gulen Movement attack on the government. However, one cannot help but ask who gave the Gulen Movement so much access in the government to begin with? Also, the government has been screaming “show us evidence” to all questions of financing and allegations of corruption. Now it seems there is some sort of evidence — should not those be dealt with first? Shouldn’t the AKP come clean with the Turkish public first, and then fight its battle with the Gulen Movement or other “foreign” provocateurs?

Is there anybody there for Kimse Yok Mu?

Pink Floyd says the following in their song Comfortably Numb: “There is no pain you are receding. A distant ship, smoke on the horizon. You are only coming through in waves.” I think these words reveal what is going on in the “new Turkey” under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

Malaysia deports 3 Turks despite warnings of torture risk

Three Turkish nationals who were recently detained over controversial charges in Malaysia have been deported to Turkey. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia earlier called on Malaysian officials to refrain from extradition as the detainees are affiliated with the Gülen movement.

Opposition deputy: Police detain one more woman shortly after delivery

B.Ö., a Turkish woman who gave birth on Thursday in the Turkish province of Adana, was detained ealy later the same day over alleged links to Turkey’s Gülen group. Sezgin Tanrıkulu, a Turkish deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has called on Turkish authorities to stop the practice of detaining women hours after giving birth.

I’m ashamed

A defamation campaign was kicked off to demonize the Hizmet movement — just as the “deep state” would do in the past — and a witch hunt was launched in various state organs. Despite the fact that the prep school debate started months ago, the probe was portrayed as part of it.

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

What else should Gülen say?

Fethullah Gulen Criticizes Gaza Flotilla

More than 60 countries attend panel organized by GYV at UN

Turkish Syriac Catholic patriarch launches ‘Fruits of Dialogue’

Gülen condemns ISIL atrocities in ads in leading US newspapers

Why Is A Cleric In The Poconos Accused Of Fomenting Turkey’s Coup Attempt?

PM’s discourse over ‘no family, children’ offensive, hurtful

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News