Former Dutch FM: I don’t understand Erdoğan’s Hizmet hatred

Bernard Bot (Photo: Cihan)
Bernard Bot (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: October 18, 2014

The Netherlands’ former foreign minister Bernard Bot has said that he cannot understand Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hatred against the Hizmet movement, a social movement known for its cultural and educational activities.

Speaking to the Dutch daily Zaman Vandaag, Bot, who served as ambassador to Turkey between 1986 to 1989, stated that the Hizmet movement has nothing to do with terrorism and that he didn’t understand which part of the organization was dangerous, the private Cihan news agency reported on Friday.

Bot said: “I know people from the Netherlands who are affiliated with the Hizmet movement and I have discussed this topic with them. The Hizmet movement strives for good education, the well-being of humanity and future generations well. As someone looking in from the outside I don’t understand why this movement is a threat to the survival of the state.”

He continued: “(Islamic scholar) Fethullah Gülen has the right to state the misdoings of Erdoğan, as does every person in Holland. He’s [Gülen] not doing anything bad and the movement is not a terrorist movement. I don’t understand which part of it is dangerous.”

Regarding the Dec. 17 graft probe which implicated some members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Bot said European people are not fully aware of what is happening in Turkey.

“We hear of Erdoğan winning landslide elections right after corruption charges are brought. We see, therefore, [that] the Turkish populace is behind him. The picture isn’t always clear to us,” he said.

“As long as a country isn’t adversely affecting its neighbors you can’t interfere in their internal affairs. This is everyone’s own business. Only if the European Union resumes serious negotiation talks can there be any involvement [by other countries].” Added Bot.

With regard to the allegations of eavesdropping on Turkey by its allies such as Germany and the US, Bot said Erdoğan, just like other statesmen in the world, knows very well that countries spy on each other.

“Intelligence agencies have vested interests at this point. They even exchange information between themselves. As the NSA (the US’s National Security Agency) said, ‘If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to be afraid of.’ More properly put, we’ve been eavesdropping for years but this is only coming out now. As an expert in this field I can assure you everyone is listening to everyone. Whenever there is a chance, listening will take place. Everyone’s phone conversation can be listened to and saved,” Bot said.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 17, 2014


Related News

Will Gülen movement become a political party?

Esteemed Fethullah Gülen frequently underlines: “Forget getting a share of political power. We cannot accept control of the world even if it is presented to us on a gold tray because this would create disappointment among those actively supporting our cause. And people would think ‘They’ve also been deceived by the love of position and sense of interest. All these [voluntary] efforts were for the sake of getting a share in the political power’.”

What is the problem between the AK Party and Hizmet?

İHSAN DAĞI Since the government demands unconditional loyalty and the subordination of social forces, the economic, political and intellectual independence of the Hizmet movement from the government seems to be the problem. The state in Turkey remains the central agent capable of and willing to suppress social and economic actors. In the absence of checks […]

Frontal assault on free enterprise in Turkey: The case of prep-schools

Erdoğan fired a warning shot across the bow of the Hizmet movement, which operates some one-third of the more than 3,500 prep schools, hoping that the movement would fold under the pressure and shy away from criticizing the government on lingering corruption, the lack of bold reforms, the stalled EU membership process, the failed constitutional work, its intrusion in people’s ways of life and privacy, blunders in foreign policy and the weakened transparency and accountability in governance.

Erdoğan’s efforts to destroy the Gulen movement aimed at consolidating his own power and regime

Hermann says Erdoğan’s efforts to destroy the Hizmet movement are aimed at consolidating his own power and regime. “Erdoğan wants to wipe out everyone whom he sees as a rival. There are not many left to challenge him. That left the Hizmet movement as a corrective force. The movement is a danger to him.

PM Erdoğan widens hostile stance to include more and more groups

Erdoğan has been trying to dodge the damaging impact of the corruption scandals by using Hizmet as a scapegoat. Gülen, an ardent supporter of transparency and accountability in government, was critical of Erdoğan government’s efforts to stall the corruption investigations. Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Gülen said that the massive corruption investigations that have shaken the government cannot be covered up no matter how hard the government tries to derail the probes — not even by blaming the scandal on what the prime minister has called the “parallel state,” a veiled reference to the Hizmet movement inspired by Gülen.

Gov’t profiling of individuals found unacceptable, unlawful

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK, İSTANBUL Human rights advocates and legal experts have voiced their uneasiness about claims suggesting that the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) has profiled individuals whom it believes to be followers of certain religious and faith-based groups, describing the practice as being illegitimate and a violation of human rights. According to […]

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

Fethullah Gulen’s Video Message for International Women’s Day

Fethullah Gülen’s message to “Gülen Movement” conference in Senegal

Turkish Schools In Somalia

Rumi Forum bestows Peace and Dialogue awards 2013

Mali education minister lauds teachers in nation’s Turkish schools

Gülen sees peace wherever Huntington sees clash

Closing down prep schools and calling it ‘transformation’

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News