The US Should Not Extradite Fethullah Gülen, To A Paranoid Turkish Government


Date posted: August 22, 2016

Jon Mark

Turkish president Erdogan is not letting up with his demands to the United States, that it extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen to face charges for a coup against the Turkish leader, which Gulen is accused of influencing.

The coup attempt for which the Turkish government blames Fethullah Gulen, reportedly took place on July 15 against the regime while President Erdogan was vacationing.

Soldiers began to declare the coup and attempted to enforce a new order, for which the president retaliated with the help of loyal members of the military, before enforcing days and weeks of mass arrests of suspects which ranged from soldiers to journalists. It was during this time that Erdogan began to accuse Gulen who lives in the United States of staging the coup.

The Guardian reported on the crushing of the coup attempt and the complications in the relationship between Turkey and the U.S., especially since they are providing the U.S. with a base to conduct airstrikes from in the battle against the Islamic State.

The article says that, according to the Turkish government, those who were rounded up and questioned apparently gave up the name of Fethullah Gulen as the instigator.

“Of course, since the leader of this terrorist organization is residing in the United States, there are question marks in the minds of the people whether there is any U.S. involvement or backing. So America from this point on should really think how they will continue to cooperate with Turkey, which is a strategic ally for them in the region and world.”

Without having to go into the details of the history between Fethullah Gulen and Erdogan, it should be common sense to say that Gulen should not be handed over to a paranoid state, which cannot handle its own affairs.

Fethullah Gulen himself has done what others also have, which is to suggest that Erdogan himself facilitated “the coup” in order for him to introduce his new phase of order over the country, becoming a dictator under NATO protection.

There is also the fact that his attempts to become friendlier with Russian leader Vladimir Putin — which is a completely different stance from what his position has been, and a questionable decision — which throws up a lot of red flags as to what bridges Turkey is willing to burn with the support of a KGB-led Russia.

Erdogan has established certain ultimatums should the U.S. not turn over Fethullah Gulen. And while they can certainly do that if they want to, given the suspicious nature of the situation there, there is no question that Erdogan is willing to do what he has to in order to make the relationship with the U.S. problematic.

As we’ve seen from a distance, the crackdown Erdogan is willing to enforce in his own country over ideas that are against him — of which the Fethullah Gulen movement is surely only one of many; it is easy to see that Erdogan wants his power to cross the ocean in a long reach to enforce his brand of “justice” on American soil.

If the extreme right-wing groups in the United States are willing to have their paranoia of Sharia law being implemented on American soil energized again, this would be the closest similarity to that from afar, should they feel that the U.S. give him up.

While we’re in the realm of paranoia, on the issue of coup attempts; the United States has a long history of staging coups in other countries.

Is it possible this was one against Turkey, with the help of Fethullah Gulen? While people with the endurance to do so can debate that issue, it doesn’t matter. Nor is it possible to ignore Erdogan’s escalating paranoia to think that he should be extradited. Fethullah Gulen’s exile to the U.S. was accepted and should be protected, or the U.S. leaves nothing for those who seek it to be proud of.

Fethullah Gulen’s extradition to Turkey means that Erdogan will get his way, no matter where in the world that is.

 

Source: Inquisitr , August 21, 2016


Related News

Love is A Verb – forthcoming documentary on the Gülen Movement

Love Is A Verb is an examination of a social movement of Sufi-inspired Sunni Muslims that began in Turkey in the l960s and now spans across the globe. The group is called Hizmet, the Turkish word for “service” or The Gülen Movement after its inspiration and teacher, Fethullah Gülen, a man TIME magazine named as […]

Turkish Cultural Center Vermont opened it doors at a ceremony held in Burlington

Turkish Cultural Center Vermont opened it doors at a ceremony held in Burlington on Wednesday with the participation of Governor Peter Shumlin, many state politicians, community members, and businessmen.

“Turkey, with the great assistance of Fethullah Gülen‎ has been a model”

The Gülen Movement, has established a fine base, and the fact that there is perhaps some conflict and debate about the wisdom of doing it, or some of the techniques that are used, I think is very, very healthy.

Turkish imam spy affair in Germany extends across Europe

The Federal Prosecutors Office (GBA) said in a statement no arrests were made in the raids in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Rhineland-Pfalz, which aimed to collect evidence into imams conducting alleged espionage against supporters of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Gülen calls on corrupt politicians to confess their sins, beg forgiveness

Turkish intellectual and Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen called on senior officials in Turkey on Friday to repent for their sins and lies made to scapegoat others and avoid the blame for their own corruption.

“They won’t believe,” he said

AHMET KURUCAN “They won’t believe,” he said. “They won’t believe that we work for peace and the salvation of humanity. They won’t believe that we endeavor to create an island of peace where all of humanity can live in brotherhood. They won’t believe that you do not have expectations for this world or the next. […]

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

Hizmet Movement blog now available in Portuguese and Arabic

Arrested Turkish Development

Poconos-Based Muslim Preacher Addresses Catholic-Muslim Dialogue Conference

Int’l symposium in Washington D.C. to discuss Hizmet’s contribution to world peace

‘Let my husband go to another country, just not Turkey’

Erdoğan raising new army of political Islamists

Turkish army profiled Tahşiyeciler as serving al-Qaeda

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News