Ex-AK Party delegate slams persecution of Hizmet movement

Former AK Party delegate Özdalga criticized the gov’t on all fronts, including the corruption cover-up, persecution of Hizmet, as well as regional policies.
Former AK Party delegate Özdalga criticized the gov’t on all fronts, including the corruption cover-up, persecution of Hizmet, as well as regional policies.


Date posted: November 10, 2014

HÜSEYIN KELEŞ | İSTANBUL

Former AK Party delegate Özdalga criticized the gov’t on all fronts, including the corruption cover-up, persecution of Hizmet, as well as regional policies.

There are few individuals in Turkish political history with such a long career as Haluk Özdalga. Having formerly served with the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), Özdalga joined the AK Party (the ruling Justice and Development party) with high hopes for democracy in 2007.

However, things have changed drastically at the turn of the decade. The AK Party’s ambitions of becoming a regional powerhouse collapsed; the authoritarianism of Erdoğan skyrocketed. The final straw for Özdalga was the government cover up of a key 2013 corruption probe which resulted in purges in the judiciary and a wrongful attempt to frame the Hizmet Movement of influential Islamic Preacher Fethullah Gülen as a national security threat.

Foreign policy collapse

As Turkey’s neighbors are engulfed in a conflict with the expanding Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkey has been left isolated. A major problem according to Özdalga is the AK Party’s foreign policy, based strictly on ideological ground, which destroyed its relations with Syria and Egypt.

On Syria the ex-AK Party delegate reflected on Turkey calling for the removal of president Bashar al-Assad, and giving support to extremist elements in Syria as Arab Spring spread there in 2010. “Turkey bet that Bashar al-Assad would be removed in three months. Diplomatic relations were cut off. We opened our border practically to any militant other than ISIL or al-Nusra.” He added, “Turkey created its own opposition, which became consolidated amongst the radical groups such as ISIL and Al Nusra,” an approach Özdalga refers to as “irrational.”

According to Özdalga the inconsistencies and contradictions of Turkey’s foreign policy were most clearly in exposed in Egypt and Sudan, where military leaders had overthrown elected leaders.

“The AK Party acted in vigilance and broke off ties with General Sisi for overthrowing the Egyptian government in a coup, as if the AK Party was itself democratic. Meanwhile in Sudan Omar al-Bashir’s military coup was much bloodier. But instead of cutting off ties with al-Bashir the AK Party advocated him simply for the reason that al-Bashir was an Islamist and Sisi was secular.”

Undemocratic trend in the AK Party

Expressing that his departure from AK Party was for much the same antidemocratic tendencies he previously observed in the secular parties DSP and CHP, Özdalga highlights; “As time progressed Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the sole authority in the AK Party. He has removed every other influential figure. This was his ultimate goal anyways.”

“The AK Party is underwriting a systematic policy which will result in the end of law and democracy.” As an example Özdalga sites the strong-arm tactics which curb the media, including forcing media bosses to fire outspoken journalists.

Corruption probe cover-up

According Özdalga the main reason for his departure from the AK Party was the October ruling which dropped the 2013 December 17-25 corruption probe, which leveled charges of bribery and embezzlement against the businessmen and individuals in the ruling AK Party.

“The fact that the ruling AK Party sought to cover up the allegations was a grand mistake. To cover that up was one of the biggest corruption scandals in the history of modern Turkey…the party systematically tampered with the judiciary,” states Özdalga.

“They have made illegal appointments in the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). The new reform package is an attempt to Council of State and the Supreme Council under state control. The regime in Turkey is no longer a democracy,” he added.

On the subject of the government attempt to categorize the Hizmet movement as an ememy of the state in Turkey’s longest-ever National Security Council meeting held last week, Özdalga expresses what he sees as blatant illegality. “This is a revenge operation, for which they are trying to form a psychological support.” Erdoğan added the movement into the famous ‘red book,’ consisting of threats to the state.

In the aftermath of the 17-25 December corruption probe the AK Party’s attacks on the Hizmet movement have been widely criticized as a search for a scapegoat in an effort to undermine the severity of the charges. Özdalga agrees with all of this stating, “They [the government] are afraid of a result that won’t benefit them.”

Özdalga also criticized ex-Zaman newspaper writer Hüseyin Gülerce, who defended the government while accusing Hizmet for conspiring against the state. Noting Gülerce’s demeanor as a pious Muslim, Özdalga noted “He is harming religion.”

Source: BGN NEWS , November 9, 2014


Related News

Imran Khan denounces expected closure of Pak-Turk schools

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan condemned the expected move to close Pak-Turk schools across the country.
“We stand firmly by Turkish democracy but closure of Pak-Turk schools in Pakistan, which has a high illiteracy rate, could be disastrous for the country,” he said.

Turkish Prisons Are Filled With Professors — Like My Father

A Turkish professor who was my father’s colleague and frequently visited our house is now incapable of counting right amount of money to pay for a bottle of water at a prison canteen. He is traumatized as a result of days of harsh treatment during the interrogation. He is sharing a prison cell with my father, longtime friends, in western Turkey.

Turkey: Alarming Deterioration of Rights – Coup Attempt No Justification for Crackdown on Peaceful Critics

The government misused terrorism laws against followers of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom the government accuses of masterminding the July coup attempt, The mass arrests and removal of safeguards against detainee abuse led to rising reports of torture and other ill-treatment in custody.

Gülen endorses reform package, appealing for ‘yes’ on Sept. 12 referendum

Well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen has said the constitutional reform package to be voted on Sept. 12 contains crucial amendments. Underlining that everyone, including Turkish citizens living abroad, should say “yes” in the referendum, Gülen said, “I wish we had a chance to raise the dead ones from their graves and urge them to cast ‘yes’ votes in the referendum,” as he highlighted the importance of voting in favor of the changes.

Prof. Ergil: Gülen is in general a very bashful person

Fethullah Gülen’s general conduct is modest. He does not consider himself superior to anybody else, and he holds tolerance in the highest regard. The way that these values reveal themselves in his personal conduct are that Gülen listens carefully to others before he begins to speak. He is also in general a very bashful person.

3-month-old with oral disease also under arrest as parents imprisoned over coup charges

Under arrest along with his mother since April 27, three-month-old Betul A. has been suffering from oral thrush in prison, her grandfather told Turkish media. With her father, Ali İhsan also under arrest over similar charges, Betul is kept under mother’s care in prison.

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

A destructive option for Turkey takes shape

Watch your mouth

Atlantic Institute promotes peace through dialogue

Opposition does not believe Gulen movement was behind the coup attempt

Fethullah Gulen’s Message of Condolences and Condemnation for Terrorist Attack Against Mosque in Egypt

Detained woman, newborn baby transferred to police station 240 km away from home

Turkish Cultural Center’s Meat Drive in New York

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News