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

Alevi associations react against halt of mosque-cemevi project

Several Alevi Bektaşi Associations affiliated with the Federation of Alevi Foundations (AVF), which together represent 600 cemevis and 300 local Alevi community associations, have strongly condemned the refusal by Ankara’s Mamak Municipality

Why does Turkey’s President Erdogan want Knicks’ Enes Kanter in jail?

A Turkish prosecutor asked for NBA’s New York Knicks star Enes Kanter to be jailed for up to four years for insulting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday. “I have said less than that honorless (man) deserves. Add another 4 years for me, master,” he told his 526,000 Twitter followers.

Chronology of Dec. 17: The stones are settling into place…

İSTANBUL Dec. 17, 2013: On the morning of Dec. 17, Turkey wakes up to a bribery and corruption operation. Simultaneous operations in İstanbul and Ankara take place after an investigation that included allegations of land being opened up to illegal city zoning, bribery and money laundering. The operations, which are carried out on the orders […]

EU calls on Turkey to Investigate abduction cases targeting Gülen Movement

The European Union (EU) on Thursday said it was closely following developments in Turkey including the abductions of people from the Gülen movement, reminding Ankara of its responsibility to investigate these reported cases.

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.

Police takes careful approach on Turkish schools issue

The National Police is not in a hurry to deal with the Turkish government’s request to close nine international schools linked to Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused by Ankara of being behind the recent coup attempt in Turkey.

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

Kimse Yok Mu medical volunteers in the Philippines

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on New Defamation Efforts by Erdogan Regime

The story of the government media’s smear campaign against Hizmet

Attempting to discredit Gülen by linking him to Israel

Fethullah Gülen expresses thanks for condolences extended after brother’s death

Nigerian youths can excel in Olympiads

A study tour of Turkey with Gulen movement

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News