Gülen’s lawyer: Targeting overseas Turkish educators breaks law

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer representing Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, speaks to media in this file photo taken in July, 2014. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Ali Unal)
Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer representing Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, speaks to media in this file photo taken in July, 2014. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Ali Unal)


Date posted: February 13, 2015

Nurullah Albayrak, the legal representative of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, in a written statement on Wednesday spoke out against a front-page story in the pro-government Star daily that published the photos of 160 educators at Turkish schools overseas that are affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement, saying the daily is breaking the law and violating those individuals’ human rights by depicting innocent people as criminals.

The Star daily, on its front page on Wednesday, published the photos of 106 people and claimed that they are “world imams in 106 countries,” implying they are there as representatives of the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, and inspired by the views of Gülen.

The daily published the story after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a press conference held on his plane on his way to Colombia on Sunday: “The world imams [of the Gülen movement] will be announced soon. Let’s see what the reaction from the world will be.”

Since a major corruption scandal erupted on Dec. 17, 2013 implicating the inner circles of Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Erdoğan has accused sympathizers of the Gülen movement, especially those in the state bureaucracy, of masterminding the corruption probe in an attempt to overthrow the AK Party government. Erdoğan claims that the Turkish schools defame the AK Party government and Turkey, contrary to statements made before the corruption scandal saying that the schools promote Turkey and the Turkish language.

Despite repeatedly accusing the movement of being behind any alleged plot on Turkey’s political scene, Erdoğan has so far failed to present any strong evidence and has not brought the matters to court, Albayrak stated. Strongly denying the accusations, Albayrak said Erdoğan’s claims against Gülen are groundless and do not reflect reality.

Gülen’s lawyer stated that the Star daily, upon the instructions of Erdoğan, has violated laws and people’s personal rights by targeting Gülen and the 106 education workers to create a perception that these people are criminals.

Albayrak said those who were depicted as “Gülen’s world imams” are mostly working as volunteer administrators in Turkish schools in these 106 countries and Star gave no evidence that they have been involved in any crime.

According to the lawyer, the photos that were released by Star were taken from official documents and passports, which is private information, and releasing them is a crime under the Constitution and the law.

In the statement, Albayrak said Turkish schools, which operate in some 160 countries in the world and are supported by Gülen, are established based on the laws of those countries.

The Turkish volunteers, who have never been involved in any crime in their lives and are only focused on educational goals, have been discriminated against by the Star daily, Albayrak added. These individuals, inspired by Gülen’s humanitarian, civil and moral teachings, have traveled to many countries in remote parts of the world to open educational institutions to promote world peace, Albayrak said.

Source: Today's Zaman , February 12, 2015


Related News

Fethullah Gülen’s legal journey

Bülent Korucu April 8, 2012, Sunday James C. Harrington has a brilliant career as a lawyer who has practiced for 40 years and as a professor who has taught law in universities for 25 years. But what is even more important is his sensitivity to and struggle for human rights. He is one of the […]

State Department: US concerned by rhetoric from Turkey on Russian envoy killing

John Kirby, spokesman of the US State Department, said “Secretary [Kerry] has raised concerns about some of the rhetoric coming out of Turkey with respect to American involvement or support, tacit or otherwise, for this unspeakable assassination yesterday because of the presence of Mr. Gülen here in the United States.”

Kimse Yok Mu reach out its helping held by distributing meat in Mongolia

Kimse Yok Mu, one of the biggest charity organizations in Turkey, just like every, this year also did not forget those who need in Mongolia. The meat of the cattle, which were sacrificed in some parts of Mongolia on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha, was distributed to Mongolian families by volunteers of Kimse Yok Mu.

Deputy PM threatens Taraf daily, Baransu for covering controversial MGK docs

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on Monday called on prosecutors to take legal action against the Taraf daily and journalist Mehmet Baransu, who last week revealed a controversial National Security Council (MGK) document indicating that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) signed on to a planned crackdown on the Hizmet (Gülen) movement in 2004.

US Congressman: No Credibility In Charges By Turkey Against Gülen

US Congressman Brad Sherman said on Thursday that charges against US-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen by the Turkish government and Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have no credibility and that he would not be treated with justice if he were in Turkey.

Corruption, Stigmatization, and Innocence

Unfortunately, the Hizmet Movement as one of the leading civilian movements contributing to intercultural dialogue and peace in the world has been labeled as one of the players to destabilize Turkey by the pro-government press too.

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

Operation against the Hizmet movement soon!

Hizmet really has expanded my understanding of what it means to be human.

Pro-Erdogan journalist says killing Gülen followers, even their babies, a religious obligation

Fethullah Gulen Denies Coup Involvement

Rule of law(lessness) in Turkey?

Graduates’ views on the effectiveness of Gülen-inspired schools in Azerbaijan

17th TUSKON trade summit sees 25,000 B2B meetings

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News