Pro-gov’t media knows no limits in ’parallel’ claims

Some of pro-government newspapers are seen in this collage prepared by Today's Zaman.
Some of pro-government newspapers are seen in this collage prepared by Today's Zaman.


Date posted: January 1, 2015

Ever since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a battle against the faith-based Hizmet movement after a corruption probe went public on Dec. 17, 2013, almost no day has passed without pro-government media outlets’ bringing forward allegations about the “parallel structure or state” and associating any negative development in the country with this so-called structure.

The “parallel state” or “parallel structure” is a phrase often used by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, its former leader Erdoğan and his supporters to refer to the Hizmet movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Erdoğan launched a battle against the movement following the Dec. 27 graft probe in which senior government members were implicated. Erdoğan, who was the prime minister at the time, accuses Hizmet of masterminding the graft probe with the aim of toppling his government. Hizmet strongly denies the accusations.

A news report in the pro-government Sabah daily on Thursday, which was based on anonymous intelligence sources, claimed that the “parallel structure” changed the ear tags on cows to present them as calves in order to receive TL 300 premiums paid by the state to animal caterers for each calf they raise in order to encourage meat production. The state does not pay any premiums for cows. The story said the “parallel structure” changed the ear tags of a total of 4,000 cows, hence unlawfully receiving TL 12 million from the state’s budget.

The daily also linked the meat shortage experienced in Turkey several years ago with the “parallel structure.”

To substantiate these claims, the views of anonymous sector representatives were included in the story who said: “Since 2007, members of the parallel structure have convinced animal breeders to sell their animals by giving, let’s say, TL 15 for a cow that actually has a price of TL 10. The sold cows were slaughtered, hence their reproduction was prevented. Then, claims were spread through the media about the absence of a sufficient amount of meat in the market, imposing pressure on the ministry [Turkey’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry] for imports of meat. They acquired great profit from imports. … Their goal is to slaughter cows to prevent reproduction, hence opening the way for meat imports.”

Source: Today's Zaman , January 01, 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

The Public Trial of Fethullah Gulen

The Pennsylvania-based cleric is a leading reformer of moderate Islam — either that, or the head of a dangerous terrorist organization. DAVID KENNER The dueling descriptions of Fethullah Gulen often seem to describe two completely different men. To his supporters, the Pennsylvania-based imam is a progressive, tolerant Islamic thinker, who presides over a grassroots organization […]

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.

AFSV Statement on Turkish Government Actions against Free Media

Today, the headquarters of among the few remaining independent media outlets were raided by the Erdogan regime. The directors, staff and journalists were forcibly removed from their position and replaced by Erdogan loyalists who pulled the plug on live broadcast.

The Guardian view on Turkey’s repression: stop this stalemate

Turkey’s western allies are alarmed, but against a complex geopolitical backdrop, they have chosen discretion rather than valour. After the EU parliament last week voted to freeze EU accession talks with Turkey, Mr Erdoğan lashed out by threatening to open the country’s borders to migrants heading to Europe. This is tantamount to blackmail.

Pro-gov’t journo says Gülen followers were abducted, illegally questioned by Turkey’s intelligence agency

Abdurrahman Şimşek, Sabah’s special editor for intelligence reporting, admitted on Friday that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization abducted several people who have links to the Gülen movement and illegally questioned them before handing them over to the police.

Ongoing political raids against schools and businesses are unconstitutional

Inspectors from the tax, finance, fire, social security, environment and urbanization, food, agriculture and husbandry bureaus were brought to the school with Smuggling and Organized Crime Police while the students were in session. Such raids have occurred repeatedly across the educational institutions’ branches, along with other schools, on an almost daily basis.

Latest News

This notable Pocono resident has been living here in exile since 1999

Logistics companies seized over Gülen links sold in fast-track auction

That is Why the Turkish Government could Pay 1 Billion Euros

ECtHR rules Bulgaria violated rights of Turkish journalist who was deported despite seeking asylum

Fethullah Gülen’s Message of Condolences in the Wake of the Western European Floods

Pregnant woman kept in prison for 4 months over Gülen links despite regulations

Normalization of Abduction, Torture, and Death in Erdogan’s Turkey

Turkey’s Maarif Foundation illegally seized German-run school in Ethiopia, says manager

Failed 2016 coup was gov’t plot to purge Gülenists from state bodies, journalist claims

In Case You Missed It

Erdoğan says his gov’t will carry out ‘witch hunt’

Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gulen promotes peace, understanding

Pro-gov’t daily: Turkey, Russia could conduct joint operation to abduct Gülen

In Indonesia Turkish schools will not be closed

3 dead, 5 missing in attempt to escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown

70-year-old intending Hajj pilgrim detained on coup charges at airport

Is the March 30 referendum in danger?

Copyright 2021 Hizmet News