Ex-President Demirel known for his support of Turkish schools abroad

In this undated file picture, late Turkish President Süleyman Demirel (L) is seen during his visit to a Turkish school in Turkmenistan along with the country's then-leader and former Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller (R).
In this undated file picture, late Turkish President Süleyman Demirel (L) is seen during his visit to a Turkish school in Turkmenistan along with the country's then-leader and former Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller (R).


Date posted: June 18, 2015

MAHMUT KURNAZ / ISTANBUL

Turkey’s ninth president, Süleyman Demirel, who died on Wednesday at the age of 90, was known for his open support of the Turkish schools abroad inspired by the views of the Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

In a speech that was posted on the Herkul.org website in 2014, Gülen wrote that Demirel was generous enough to say “Write whatever you want to say in a letter to leaders of a state where you want to open a school; I will sign it and send it [as the president of Turkey] to the leader of the state.”

While paying an official visit to Bangladesh in 1997, Demirel inaugurated Turkish Hope Schools in the capital, Dhaka, and also helped a teacher from the school, Süleyman Alptekin, who had been injured in an accident, to return to Turkey in his official plane.

Alptekin had lost a leg after being run over by a bus in an accident two weeks before Demirel’s visit to Dhaka. Unable to get the necessary medical treatment in his hospital in Bangladesh, Alptekin was then taken to an army hospital, where he was visited by Demirel, who had been informed of the incident during the inauguration of the school.

Seeing that Alptekin was unable to return to Turkey for financial reasons, Demirel then gave Alptekin the sleeping compartment of the official plane for the return trip to Turkey.

During the Turkish Olympiads of 2013, Alptekin and a group of students from the Turkish Hope Schools in Bangladesh visited Demirel at his residence in Ankara. Demirel said that Alptekin was doing a very important job teaching Turkish to the students there in Bangladesh. “That’s why we have love, sympathy and appreciation toward these people [teachers in the Turkish schools]” he said.

Demirel was also the chief guest at one of the dialogue meetings of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, whose honorary president is Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, soon after the 1997 military intervention into politics which led to many religious groups experiencing oppression from military-instructed state institutions. Demirel, who was the president at that time, said that he was the president of all the people of Turkey, without any discrimination. Upon receiving a plaque from Gülen in remembrance of the event, Demirel also noted that the community represents the unity of the people of Turkey.

Source: Today's Zaman , June 17, 2015

Tags: | | |


Related News

Three political risks that Turkey might be exposed to

Economic indicators in Turkey cannot bear the political risk anymore. The currency rates go up whenever President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan makes a statement. Before the elections I had warned that Erdoğan’s election victory would bring instability, but nobody believed this. There are now three major fields of conflict and uncertainty before Turkey.

(Not a joke) Turkish governor: ISIL terrorist detonated himself in construction site not to harm neighbors

Following the detonation of an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist in Turkey’s Gaziantep province on Sunday, the governor told reporters that the suicide bomber detonated himself in a construction site in order not to cause problems for the neighbors.

Turkish experts and doctors seek asylum in Greece

A group of 33 Turks, including academics, doctors and civil servants, are seeking political asylum in Greece for fear of persecution at home. The group is believed to be supporters of the Hizmet movement, led by the US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen.

‘Parallel’ inspection launched against prominent Jewish-Turkish businessman İshak Alaton

The Bureau for Crimes against the Constitutional Order of the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an inspection of the companies run by Alarko Holding’s executive board chairman and prominent Jewish Turkish businessman İshak Alaton on charges of supporting the so-called “parallel state,” a daily reported on Tuesday.

The gov’t in Turkey is committing genocide

Fundamental human rights and freedoms have been suspended in Turkey, people’s right to work, freedom of the press, the right to property ownership, the right to a defense in a court of law, the right to travel and the right to a fair trial have all been annulled while the principle of presumption of innocence has been totally disregarded. People have been subjected to collective punishment through the practice of “enemy law.”

Erdogan’s Maarif Foundation To Contribute Radicalism, Exacerbate Muslim-Christian Tension In African Countries

Turkey’s President Erdoğan has aimed at replacing the positive contributions of the schools opened by the Gülen movement in Africa to preventing clashes in countries, where there is Christian-Muslim tension, with radical Islamist rhetoric and thus will create conflict rather than dialogue in African countries, stated a report recently released.

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

Gulen-linked school manager released on bail by Tbilisi court

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen condemns Paris attacks in strongest terms

Alaton: I’m telling everyone about Turkish schools’ contribution to world peace

Peace Islands Institute Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Turkey cooperating with Israel to help Gaza

Foes on the Run as Erdogan Makes Power Personal

The more we learn, the more we are the same

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News