Gülen movement acted ‘courageously’ when gov’t-involved graft revealed, Altan says

Ahmet Altan, the former editor-in-chief of the Taraf daily
Ahmet Altan, the former editor-in-chief of the Taraf daily


Date posted: March 31, 2015

Ahmet Altan, the former editor-in-chief of the Taraf daily, has said that the Gülen movement acted “courageously” during the public revelations of the Dec. 17, 2013 corruption scandal that implicated several senior members of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

In a televised interview with journalist Ayşegül Doğan on the İMC TV station on Monday, Altan praised the Gülen movement — also known as the Hizmet movement and inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — for its courageous and critical stance while the graft operations were being conducted. “The AKP would not take such a stand in a similar situation,” Altan said.

He further said that the accusations leveled against the movement claiming that it is a “parallel state” within the state — a term coined by then-prime minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in order to smear members of the movement over their alleged role in the biggest graft scandal in recent Turkish history — have no legal substance.

“It is said that the movement was aware of corruption within the government for years but remained silent. But with good reason, because that was necessary to eventually uncover it. I think that the movement took a very courageous stance during this period. There is no crime related to ‘parallel’ organizations under the law,” Altan added.

Source: Today's Zaman , March 31, 2015

Tags: | |


Related News

Erdoğan’s scapegoats: the West and Gülen

Erdogan can even push for a ridiculous extradition application to be made to the US, and when this is refused, he will use this in his public rallies as evidence to show that the US is working with Gülen to topple his government. As I said, he is not bound by ethics and knows very well that corruption is a fact in Turkey but prefers to present himself as the victim.

Test of Turkish society

Over the past 11 years, Turkey has been undergoing an important transformation. While it seems to defend secular and modern-looking Western lifestyles, it is trying to come out of the tangle of Kemalism, which is a regime disregarding democratic values of the West. Even if Kemalism had at first dreamed of establishing a real Western democracy, it was later defiled and turned into a hegemony of the elite.

Thousands in anti-corruption protests; Erdoğan defiant

Thousands took to the streets of İstanbul on Sunday to protest against the government over a corruption scandal that has led to multiple arrests, including sons of two ministers and general manager of the state-run Halkbank.
Twenty-four people, including the sons of two ministers and the head of state-owned Halkbank, have been formally charged in connection with the corruption inquiry that Erdoğan has called a “dirty operation” to undermine his rule.

Conferences on Hizmet movement in Egypt attracted masses

CUMALİ ÖNAL, AMR MUSTAFA | CAIRO In the three conferences held in three different cities in Egypt, the Egyptians, especially youngsters and students, flooded the conference rooms in order to understand the “Hizmet Movement” (aka Gulen movement) and Fethullah Gulen. Especially in the third and last day of the conference that was held in the world-wide famous […]

AKP official: Let sacked public servants eat tree roots

The Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Isparta branch head, Osman Zabun, has said the civil servants who have recently been dismissed from state institutions over alleged links to the Gülen movement can go and “feed on tree roots” if they don’t want to starve to death.

Fethullah Gülen: alleged coup mastermind – and friendly neighbor

Chuck Parker, who lives down the road from Fethullah Gülen, said: “When we have the traditional Thanksgiving, he has a dinner then. He also has a dinner for Ramadan.” He and many other residents have received invitations, which often come with a personal touch. “They usually hand deliver it, or one of the guys bring it over.”

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Don’t be fooled by Hizmet conspiracy theories

BBC report: Women with younger-than 6-months-old babies in jail in Turkey

Turkish woman returned to prison with newborn 4 days after birth

UK court rejects ‘politically motivated’ Turkish extradition request of businessman

Major Says No One In Erdoğan Assassination Attempt Trial Has Links To Gülen

Nigerian vice-ambassador demands more Turkish schools in his country

Abant tackles contentious issue of drafting new constitution

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News