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

Former Turkish officer at NATO: Coup attempt was never meant to succeed

A former Turkish officer who served at NATO headquarters in Brussels but was sacked and recalled to Turkey as part of an investigation into a failed coup on July 15 claims that the putsch was clumsily executed and never intended to bring down the government, but rather served President Erdoğan to eliminate his opponents.

4-year-old visits dad in jail on Children’s Day wearing T-shirt with newborn brother’s picture

Minutes before paying a visit to her jailed father early on Sunday morning, H.A. was photographed in front of Sakarya L Type Prison wearing a T-shirt bearing a photo of her newborn baby brother.

Germany takes Gülenists off watch list, conducts counterespionage against Ankara – report

German police have removed the Gülen movement, which Ankara designates a terrorist organisation, from its ‘dangerous’ and ‘to be followed’ watch list, Sözcü newspaper reported, citing a domestic security report from the  country’s Southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

US says it does not consider Gülen movement a terror organization

The U.S. has stated that the country does not consider the movement of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen a terror organization, a position which stands in contrast with the latest decision taken during a Turkish National Security Council (MGK) meeting on the movement.

Toward the ‘Mubarak model’

As Turkey’s all-inclusive civil society organization, the Hizmet movement, which has always advocated human rights and freedom, adopted democracy, worked to make the state more transparent and accountable, supported Turkey’s accession to the EU and its integration into the world, has become a target.

Bank Asya shares skyrocket after trading resumes

The Islamic bank has been in the spotlight since Turkish media reported that state-owned companies and institutional depositors loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had withdrawn TL 4 billion ($1.8 billion), or some 20 percent of the bank’s total deposits, because the bank’s founders include sympathizers of cleric Fethullah Gülen, a former-ally-turned-critic of Erdoğan.

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

A Rare Interview: Jamie Tarabay Meets Turkish Scholar Fethullah Gulen

Gov’t steps up campaign against Hizmet via terrorism accusations

Foreign students express bewilderment over gov’t bid to close Turkish schools

Victims of forced disappearance in Turkey

Samanyolu TV celebrates its 20th year

Kimse Yok Mu to share perspectives at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

Illegal raid against Bank Asya spells disaster for Turkey, says TUSKON head

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News