Former Turkish President Gül denies having any relationship with the Gülen movement or Fethullah Gülen but history tells…

In this 2011 photo, President Abdullah Gul greets Seref Ali Tekalan, rector of Fatih University, which was closed down during the anti-Gulen crackdown.
In this 2011 photo, President Abdullah Gul greets Seref Ali Tekalan, rector of Fatih University, which was closed down during the anti-Gulen crackdown.


Date posted: January 4, 2017

HizmetNews.Com

Former Turkish President Abdullah Gül answered 27 questions sent to him by the parliamentary Coup Investigation Commission, while current President Erdogan, Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar and National Intelligence Agency head Hakan Fidan were not questioned although they were directly affected by the attempted coup.

In his answers, Gül denied having relations with neither the Gülen movement nor Fethullah Gülen. But, history tells the opposite: Gül attended many activities of the Gülen movement; he even hosted, in his official residence, students of Turkish schools from many countries during a Turkish Language and Culture Olympiad in 2011.

In a video available in the internet, Gül is seen attending to the opening of Bank Asya, an Islamic lender established by sympathizers of Gülen, in 1996 along with Gülen current President, then-mayor of İstanbul Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and then-Prime Minister Tansu Çiller.

When hosting the students from Gülen-inspired Turkish schools President Gül in his speech praised these initiatives and said: “This is (the schools) a great service to Turkey, Turkish language and culture.” He was also bestowed with “Karamanoglu Mehmet Bey Turkish Language Award” by the organizing committee of the Olympiad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcscBk2KOD4

It was not clear why President Gül gave a statement as if he had been unaware of the Gülen movement. Once, it was even perceived and circulated in the media that that he was a follower of Fethullah Gülen.

President Gül attended many activities of the Gülen movement in Turkey and abroad. Below are some of them:

President Gül opens Turkish-Kazakh school in Astana

President Gül inaugurates Turkish school in Kenya

Turkish President Gül: Turkish schools abroad largest non-state project

President Gül hosts Turkish Olympiad students in Ankara

 


Related News

Turkish students win most awards at int’l math contest

Students from Turkish schools who competed at the American Mathematics Contest-8 (AMC-8) won the most awards this year, the 26th year of the competition. Turkey’s private school Coşkun Kolej won 18 gold medals — awarded to those with a perfect score. Burç School’s Florya Branch won 13 gold medals, while Bilecik Özel Sevgi Çiçeği Elementary […]

Questions over corruption and paralysis of politics [in Turkey]

The corruption crisis, the related ongoing judicial process and PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s stance towards this process have led many people to have serious concerns over justice and the latest developments have made me pose the following questions. I think that we strongly need honestly speaking and honestly thinking politicians to answer these questions for the sake of liberal democracy and universal values such as rule of law.

Islamic scholar Gülen offers condolences to Berkin’s family

Dismayed by unconstructive language adopted by government officials over social issues, Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullan Gülen offered his deep condolences to family of Berkin Elvan, the latest victim of Gezi Park protests, in a statement late on Tuesday.

How does PM Erdoğan hurt the liberal pious of Turkey?

Turkey has been vigorously debating the nature of its democracy and popular Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling style, which has increasingly authoritarian tendencies, as never before since the Gezi Park protests in May. From my perspective, the Gezi protests, on which everyone was almost forced to take sides, is a grey area since both the government and the protesters made their share of mistakes.

Turkey After the July Coup Attempt – Alan Makovsky’s testimony before Committee on Foreign Affairs

The vastness and persistence of the purge of the civil service, arrests of journalists, and closure of media outlets—many seemingly having nothing whatsoever to do with the exiled Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen or his Gülenist movement that the Turkish government blames for the coup attempt.

Students give International Turkish Olympiad a moving sendoff

İPEK ÜZÜM, İSTANBUL The 11th International Turkish Olympiad, a competition in which Turkish speakers from around the globe recite poetry, write essays and sing songs, wrapped up on Sunday with a ceremony at İstanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Nearly 250,000 people attended the event. Students from 140 countries participated in this year’s 16-day Olympiad, fascinating local […]

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

Forget about the gentleman living in Pennsylvania, US tells Ankara

Turkish schools in Romania awarded with certificate of excellence

Turkey: Erdogan’s macabre dance in Africa

Erdogan men advised to have polygamous marriages with wives of jailed Gülen followers

‘Parallel’ lies won’t patch giant tear, Gülen tells government

Political thunder from Turkey rumbles all the way to New Orleans

Governor asks Turkish organisation to focus on Balochistan

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News