Turkish preacher isn’t running terrorist gang


Date posted: August 20, 2016

Fatih Harpci

Fethullah Gülen is the man the Turkish president blames for a coup attempt on July 15 in Turkey.

Well known as a Muslim social advocate and the inspirational leader of a civil society movement called Hizmet, Gülen has now been branded a terrorist by the Turkish authorities without any court order or hard evidence of his involvement.

Is Gülen really a terrorist leader? Actually, the Turkish people asked the very same question in 2000 when Ankara State Security Court’s chief prosecutor opened a case against Gülen charging the Turkish preacher had set up a terrorist network. The prosecutor has charged hundreds of schools and organizations founded by people inspired by Gülen’s ideas, and Gülen was acquitted of all charges.

Now the Turkish government follows the same path and designates the Hizmet initiative, which promotes education, community service, and interfaith dialogue, a terrorist organization. After studying the movement, I have seen that Gülen has been preaching understanding, tolerance, human rights and democracy — but definitely not violence.

Schools established by the Hizmet volunteers are aimed to raise generations who respect universal human values and are educated through modern sciences and spiritual formation. Gülen reiterated his views on education in the interviews July 17, right after the attempted coup. If any of these schools were ever involved in any “terrorist” activity, as the Turkish government blindly claims, the many host countries would be the first to shut them down.

In his 56-page defense presented to the Turkish court in 2001, Gülen emphasized that his personal views and the surveys and studies conducted on the movement proved that both national and international academic circles did not see Hizmet as a terrorist organization or “Muslim supremacist cult.” Almost everyone both in Turkey and abroad knows that Gülen was the first Muslim leader who condemned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Gülen stated, “I would like to stress that any terrorist activity, no matter who does it and for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy and humanity.”

When people were searching for moderate Muslim voices, he had already issued press releases for the attacks in Madrid, London, Boston, San Bernardino, Mogadishu, Orlando, Lahore, Paris, Istanbul, Nairobi, Brussels and many other places, condemning any type of terrorism and religious extremism.

Given the popularity of the Hizmet across the world and lack of evidence that Gülen is indeed linked to terrorism, I believe it will be unequivocally impossible to confirm that the movement is a “separatist terrorist organization,” as claimed by the Turkish president. Gülen always makes a broad social critique of violence, terrorism and racism, while promoting social justice, harmony and peace.

Yes, the Turkish government blames Gülen and his sympathizers for the attempted military coup. Gülen has rejected all accusations that he was behind the coup attempt and declared his clear stance on democracy. This is also what he stated back in 1994: “I believe, from now on, both in Turkey and in the rest of the world, there will be no going back from democracy.”


Harpci, who was born and raised in Turkey, is an assistant professor of religion at Carthage College in Kenosha: fharpci@carthage.edu.

Source: Wisconson State Journal , August 19, 2016


Related News

Turkey introduces new decree law to seize all Gulen-related companies

Thanks to a new decree law released as part of the state of emergency declared late on July 20 following a failed coup, Turkey’s government is now set to seize all the Turkish companies owned by businessmen somehow linked to the US-based Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Turkey investigating 4,167 Gülen followers in 110 countries

At least 4,167 people in 110 countries are being investigated in Turkey over their links to the Gülen movement, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Thursday.

AKP official: Torture claims won’t be investigated if victims are Gülenists

A Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy has said there will be no investigations into claims of torture and mistreatment of people put into prison after a July 15 coup attempt if those victims are sympathizers of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Turkey’s Curious Coup – positions of the Turkish Government, Gulen Movement and Turkey’s Western allies

Within days of the coup attempt, James Clapper, the then-Director of US National Intelligence, said that they had not seen any intelligence indicating Gülen’s involvement. Bruno Kahl, head of Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency, said during an interview in March 2017 that he did not believe Gülen was behind the coup.

I object to AK Party’s ‘New Turkey’

At this point, we need to state that the third term in office which the prime minister Erdogan refers to as the period of mastery appears to be a goal of converting society through a single cultural identity rather than a period of restoration that will strengthen social peace.

NPR’s Interview with Gulen – He Denies Involvement In Coup Attempt

From his exile compound in the Poconos, the cleric accused by the Turkish government of leading a failed coup attempt last year, Fethullah Gulen, denies any involvement.

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

Gülen convinces people that Islam is integral part of global order

Daily Trust Editorial: In Turkey, fresh affront on democracy

Turkey’s greatest service to the Muslim world

Muslims and Jews celebrate Ramadan together in Sheepshead Bay

Man behind Gülen probe also filed complaints about PM Erdoğan

Civil society will not bow

Remarks by Congressman Mike Honda (Representing California) at IFLC Washington DC

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News