Turkey’s Hizmet Purge Is Seeping into the UK Creating Fear in Some Communities

Government supporters burn photos of Fethullah Gulen, who they believe organized the coup. Petros Giannakouris / AP
Government supporters burn photos of Fethullah Gulen, who they believe organized the coup. Petros Giannakouris / AP


Date posted: July 19, 2016

Over the weekend, we have received 5 reports from individuals who are involved in the delivery of social services here in the UK and who are of Turkish heritage. Law abiding citizens, they have been involved in voluntary service and interfaith activities and have started to receive texts, from within Turkey and beyond the country and which have been circulated far and wide.

The text messages ask for individuals who receive them to inform on members of the Gulen or Hizmet movement and the messages are laced with suggestions that action needs to be taken. The impact of these messages is to create fear within members of the Hizmet movement in the United Kingdom and who are active in social work within and beyond Muslim communities.

We are listing this issue and do not want to comment on Turkey’s internal affairs. They are an issue for Turkey and it is not our remit in Tell MAMA to do so. What we are concerned with, is that issues are spilling into the UK and with large communities of Turkish and Kurdish heritage. These texts are causing fear and are targeted at a group that is Muslim and which is as they say, are in the ‘eye of the storm’ in Turkey. The politics of Turkey is therefore bleeding into the targeting of a specific group of Muslims in the UK and who are part of the Gulen movement. This makes it relevant to us.

We would like to stress that what is needed are cool heads and calm at this period of time. No-one in the UK should be targeted for what is taking place in Turkey and we understand the depth and strength of feeling from members of the public in Turkey against the murderous coup that took place. We will continue to monitor impacts here in the UK and if anyone receives such texts, (listed below), please do get in touch with us and we will progress these through relevant law enforcement channels.

global crackdown on Hizmet

Source: , July 18, 2016


Related News

Persecution In Turkey Left Kids With A Down Syndrome Suffering Tremendously

The unrelenting witch-hunt persecution against critics and opponents in Turkey by county’s Islamist rulers knows no boundaries when it comes to traumatizing kids and babies whose parents were dragged to jail on false charges.

The system is the root cause of corruption

We have the perfect recipe for all kinds of corruption. The media has been silenced. It does not work as a watchdog, inspecting the government’s financial dealings. Parliament cannot inspect the government’s financial transactions. The Court of Accounts (Sayıştay) cannot inspect the government’s expenses. There are no internal mechanisms within the ruling party to make sure its leaders are accountable; there is only an infallible leader figure, and whatever he does, the party endorses it.

78 detained for raising money for post-coup purge victims

At least 78 people who are accused of raising money for post-coup purge victims were detained in an Antalya-based operation into the Gülen movement on Thursday.

Fethullah Gülen’s message to his sympathizers in the aftermath of the coup attempt

I hope that those who set their hearts on a cause will not loosen their hands about working on the world solidarity and universal human values, and they will continue on their way. I hope they do not get shaken by such storms, with Allah’s permission and help. Just like all the things happened until today had passed and became history, these latest incidents will pass and become history, with Allah’s permission.

Gülen’s lawyer appeals arrest warrant

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, has appealed the decision of the İstanbul 1st Penal Court of Peace to issue an arrest warrant for Gülen, citing illegality.

Erdogan: The Sultan of an illusionary Ottoman Empire

It appears that Erdogan had never committed himself to a democratic form of government. A quote attributed to him in 1999 describes precisely what his real intentions were from the day he rose to power. “Democracy” he said, “is like a bus, when you arrive at your destination, you step off.”

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

Fethullah Gulen’s Condemnation and Condolences Message on Istanbul Terrorist Attack

Class-B shareholders join objection against Asya decision

Turkish school student project among global finalists of 2015 Google Science Fair

A headscarved woman at the April 24 commemoration

Erdogan Purge Against Gulenists Could Prove Lucrative

Peshawar High Court Restrains Federal Government From Deporting Turkish Teachers Of Pak-Turk School Till Dec 1

Turkish doctors perform 13,000 cataract operations in Sudan, Somalia

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News