Fethullah Gulen: Killing of Russian envoy ‘heinous act’
Date posted: December 19, 2016
U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen on Monday condemned the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey as a “heinous act of terror” and urged the Turkish government to identify anyone who aided the gunman.
Gulen’s written statement was issued after one of his advisers strongly denied allegations by an unnamed senior Turkish security official of “very strong signs” that the gunman who killed the ambassador belonged to Gulen’s movement.
Ankara has accused the cleric of instigating a failed coup in July and has cracked down on thousands of people it suspects of links to the Turkish Muslim cleric. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any involvement.
“I condemn in the strongest terms this heinous act of terror,” Gulen said. “Turkish and international experts repeatedly have pointed out the deterioration of security and counter-terrorism efforts due to the Turkish government’s assigning hundreds of counter-terrorism police officers to unrelated posts, as well as the firing and imprisoning many others since 2014.”
(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Gülen movement’s engagement with political processes
Fethullah Gülen is often portrayed as the quintessential idealist, relaying on spirituality, ideas and engagement rather than political power. Gülen, in fact, is a far more complicated man than such a simplistic portrayal would lead us to believe. He has an astute sense of hard and soft power and understands power in terms of its various components and limits.
Fethullah Gülen issued the following statement on Turkey’s extradition request
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today once again demonstrated he will go to any length necessary to solidify his power and persecute his critics. It is ridiculous, irresponsible and false to suggest I had anything to do with the horrific failed coup. I urge the US government to reject any effort to abuse the extradition process to carry out political vendettas.
Turkey as a “serial” human rights derogator
The past couple of months have been tumultuous in Turkey. In short order, an ill-conceived military coup was followed by popular mass protest, the quick return of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power, and a wave of repression ranging from military and judicial purges, to state restrictions on a panoply of basic human rights protections, to allegations of “widespread human rights abuses” by state actors.
Victims of Erdogan’s witch-hunt and purge get their voice heard
A new website has recently been launched to publish stories or Turkish president Erdogan’s with-hunt, persecution and brutal crack-down on the dissents. The new website is named “Magduriyetler,” which aims to disseminate the stories of the countless violations of law after the coup attempt in July 2016.
The cleric, the coup and the conspiracy
In Pennsylvania, Gülen and his aides scrambled to denounce the coup attempt as it unfolded. “As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt,” Gülen said in a statement, referring to Turkey’s spotty democratic history. The U.S. also was quick to condemn the coup attempt, but not quick enough for many in the Turkish government and media.
Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt praises Fethullah Gülen’s work
In her remarks, she recalled Gülen’s call for love, compassion, forgiveness and celebration of diversity for which she affirmed her full support. ‘I personally relate to Mr. Gülen’s ideas and his whole views very much. I think he has identified some very critical points up from which we must consider taking on our lives. I was very impressed about to hear his work and all the centers around the world that are supporting his work. I would love to support it by myself.’
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