Date posted: October 30, 2014

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Faruk Loğoğlu criticized government, which signaled Hizmet Movement should be included in “Red Book,” a national security document in which major threats against the nation are enumerated, on Thursday.

Loğoğlu responded questions asked by the reporters at a press conference. He was reminded President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who signaled that the faith-based Hizmet movement might be declared a terrorist group in the “National Security Strategy Concept Paper,” which is often referred to as the “Red Book.” Loğoğlu said he does not find such a recommendation credible and right.

“The government has such a characteristic. It always needs a scapegoat it can point at… ‘Parallel structure’ is behind everything. ‘Parallel structure’ is responsible for everything. I don’t find this credible and I don’t find right either,” said Loğoğlu.

Following two graft probes that went public in December of last year, part of which led to four Cabinet ministers leaving their posts, Erdoğan accused the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, of being behind the probes. Describing the corruption probes as a plot against the government, Erdoğan also claimed Hizmet was part of an international plot to topple the government.

Source: Cihan , October 30, 2014

Tags: Defamation of Hizmet | Hizmet (Gulen) movement | Turkey |