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

Are Turkey’s Prisoners Hostages?

Rumors have circulated throughout Turkey that, under the guise of averting a prison riot, Erdogan might order his forces to fire on the prisons. It is not a scenario beyond the realm of possibility; after all, the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi did something similar, killing more than 1,000 political prisoners.

EC official: Turkey should address issues within limits of rule of law

Turkey should deal with its problems within the confines of the rule of law and the legal instruments of democratic societies, Alexandra Cas Granje, European Commission (EC) director of enlargement, has said in reference to a recent corruption scandal and draft bill on the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK).

Medialog Platform hosts digital media experts from Europe and Asia

Media representative and academics from some 20 European and Asian countries have come to Istanbul to discuss the status of the digital media in the new era in the conference, “Understanding Communications in the New Media Era.” Participants called for cooperation and dialogue in the process. During the conference, academics made interesting presentations and exchanged […]

Turkish, Armenian students foster coexistence with exemplary project

FATMA DIŞLI ZIBAK Putting aside all their prejudices and what their course books taught them, a group of students from a Turkish high school and an Armenian high school have joined hands to get to know each other and develop bonds of brotherhood among different religious and ethnic groups in the country with a joint […]

On Gülen vs Erdogan – “And not equal are the good deed and the bad”

Martin Luther, the Christian leader who is called “the Father of the Reformation,” described two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of heaven. In the contrasts between Erdoğan and Gülen, we surely see examples of this distinction.

Religions Come Together To Celebrate Unity Amid Tragedy

“Today is the highest Islamic holiday,” said Ismail Akbulut for the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation. “We are commemorating the story of Prophet Abraham when he was going to sacrifice his oldest son. Today we are getting together as cousins and celebrating this festival,” Akbulut added. “We have a future in this country together.”

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

Turkish community leader in Hampshire condemns Russian ambassador’s assassination

Ankara assassination: Why Erdogan blames the Gulenists and ignores the jihadists

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Turkey is gateway to Europe: exporters urged to collaborate with Turkish companies

Failing to arrest outspoken NBA star, Turkish gov’t detains father

Muslims, Jews start new tradition in Forest Hills

Gülen withdraws libel complaint after housewife apologizes

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News