Pro-gov’t daily claims White House held special session on Gülen


Date posted: January 23, 2015

Pro-government Turkish daily Takvim claimed in a Friday report that the White House held a special session on Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is based in the US, in September 2014.

The daily’s top story, titled “Gülen summit at White House,” claims that US Vice President Joe Biden headed the meeting, whose only topic was Gülen. The picture featured on the daily’s front cover is of Obama sitting at a desk, holding a file, with Gülen’s photograph Photoshopped onto the file and Biden Photoshopped standing next to Obama.

According to the story, the meeting attendees assessed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s demand for Gülen to be extradited to Turkey, though there is no convictions from any courts against the scholar. The daily claimed that Biden said in the White House meeting that the US needs the partnership of the Turkish government rather than that of Gülen. US President Barack Obama agreed with Biden on his view, according to the daily.

The daily claims a CIA report on Gülen led Obama and Biden to think that extraditing Gülen to Turkey would strengthen Erdoğan’s hand while weakening that of Washington, because the CIA’s study showed that the a majority of the Turkish public see Gülen as being linked to Israel and the US. The daily asserted that Obama and Biden have now agreed to deport Gülen to a third country, like Saudi Arabia, adding that Obama spoke to late Saudi King Abdullah in a September meeting about the idea, which the king did not reject.

Erdoğan, speaking on TV in March 2014, said that during a phone call with President Obama on Feb. 19 he had asked for Gülen to be extradited because he is a threat to Turkey’s national security. Erdoğan claimed that Obama had viewed this request “positively” and replied by saying, “I got the message.”

In March 2014, the White House had accused Erdoğan, who was the prime minister at the time, of misrepresenting the content of his phone conversation with Obama on Feb. 19 regarding the extradition of Gülen, who lives in Pennsylvania. “The response attributed to President Obama with regard to Mr. Gülen is not accurate,” the White House said in an e-mailed statement to various press organizations on March 9.

Gülen is in self-imposed exile in the US, though there is no legal hurdle preventing him from returning to Turkey. Shortly after he went to the US in 2000, he was charged with establishing an illegal organization in Turkey, but he was eventually acquitted in 2008. After a corruption and bribery investigation went public on Dec. 17 of last year, around 50 people were detained, including the sons of three ministers as well as businesspeople and bureaucrats. Allegations arose that several ministers were also implicated in the scandal. Shortly afterward, Erdoğan reassigned the prosecutors and thousands of police officers involved in the case, claiming that they were under the control of Gülen and trying to create a “state within a state.”

Source: Today's Zaman , January 23, 2015


Related News

Bedridden mother dies of hearth attack after daughter arrested over Gulen links

A bedridden 86-year-old woman dies of heart attack days after daughter, who had been looking after her for years, was arrested by a court over links to the Gülen movement.

AKP winning perception war !

The probe, which many predicted to be the end of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), has become a war of perception. If you google “graft,” “bribery” or “corruption” in Turkish, you will see the focus has already shifted to a concept so far unheard of in Turkish politics (the “parallel state”), reassigning public prosecutors and police officers to different posts, condemning all sorts of “disinformation” and changing laws governing the structure of the judiciary.

4th Legislative Reception in Richmond

The American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) organized the now much exclaimed 4th Legislative Reception, in Richmond, Virginia on February 6th 2013. Members of Virginia’s General Assembly, their staff, and Turkish Americans attended the reception at the Old City Hall. The reception provided a great atmosphere for all attendees including legislators to relax and enjoy each […]

The genesis of the hatred against Gulen and the Hizmet Movement

By Kenyan Nomad May 2, 2012 Every now and then, we are subjected to a purportedly investigative report by a ‘respected’ (pun intended) journalist about famed Turkish Scholar, Fethullah Gulen and the movement he inspired: The Hizmet (service) Movement. On reading the said article or report, we realize it is the same innuendos, fabrications and the macabre claims […]

Fethullah Gülen’s Statement of Condolences and Condemnation for Manhattan Terrorist Attack

Fethullah Gülen: I am deeply shocked and saddened by the atrocious terrorist attack in Manhattan which resulted in the deaths of eight innocent civilians and left 11 others injured. I strongly condemn this despicable and senseless act of violence.

Who put those 4.5 million dollars there?

It is fair to say that no government, no organization, no company, no social club could ignore and permit any attempt from within to destroy itself. Even in that case, it is up to independent courts to probe such a conspiracy, plot or coup attempt. It is up to the independent courts, free of political pressure, to investigate both suspicions of a coup attempt and suspicions over large-scale corruption.

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

Turkey: Inspiring or insidious

Atlantic Institute’s Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner in Tennessee

Lailat al-Miraj marked with prayers for Soma victims across Turkey

Bosnians Protest at Student’s Arrest in Turkish Crackdown

Being partners of the state

Kimse Yok Mu aid for Pakistan

US-based think tank says Gülen movement progressive in terms of pro-Kurdish reforms

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News