Turkish “religious advisors” are keeping an eye on Erdogan opponents in Belgium
Brussels stabbing leaves ‘at least three people injured’ outside Turkish embassy as nationals vote in referendum over handing Erdogan more powers. The Belgian prime minister said he would not tolerate violence as Turkish nationals voted in a referendum on the future of their country (March 30, 2017)
Date posted: April 2, 2017
Turkey is pressuring “religious advisors” to keep an eye on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opponents in 38 countries, including Belgium.
Le Soir reported on this story on Saturday. The paper got hold of an 8-page report, signed by the Turkish embassy in Brussels and its Religious affairs councillor.
The report calls preacher Fethullah Gülen’s movement a “terrorist organisation”, as Turkish authorities hold it responsible for last year’s putsch. It also mentions the Fedactio group and the sixty or so associations it includes. The report names the associations in detail, analyses their strengths, how they could be shut them down and mentions individuals. The report also talks about deregistering students from Gülen schools in Flanders en masse.
The councillor is also concerned about the existence of a “Gülen chair for intercultural studies”, part of the Social Science faculty at Leuven University (KUL).
In Belgium, how the religious councillor at the Turkish embassy behaved could be seen as interference, Le Soir pointed out.
Gülen’s lawyer issues written warning to pro-gov’t media outlets
Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer representing Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, on Thursday issued a written warning to pro-government media outlets on social media for their persistent use of the expressions “parallel structure” — a term invented by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to refer to followers of the Hizmet movement — and “Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization” — referred to in the dailies as FETÖ — on the grounds that they are making baseless claims regarding the faith-based movement.
Hakan Şükür’s resignation: Rebellion of a conscience
Take a look at his wedding photo: on one side of a table is Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen and on the other is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. That photo reflects the feelings of millions. Şükür’s resignation is a sign that to him, that photo was torn up. If the government continues to keep up its hostile attitude against the Hizmet movement led by Gülen, millions will experience the same feeling. The real risk is here.
3 detained Turkish educators and their families handed over to Turkey by Gabon
Three Turkish educators and their families who were arbitrarily detained in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon, were handed over to Turkish officials and taken to İstanbul on Sunday morning.
In Berlin, inside a Gulen “light-house”
In recent years, the movement has received more scrutiny, not least after its long-time alley, Turkish President Erdogan, publicly split with the group, accusing it of infiltrating state institutions and even outright “terrorism”. Germany’s intelligence services disagree: In 2014, they published an assessment outlining that while some elements within the movement gave room for concern, they didn’t warrant an observation of the movement.
Islamic scholar Gülen criticizes Turkish gov’t response to Gezi protests
Gülen said he had heard of Turkish officials’ efforts to “undermine Turkish schools abroad” which are run by his movement in many countries across the world. “Unfortunately, this appetite for destruction pushes all fair limits. These schools were established through the great self-sacrifice of the people of Anatolia,” he said.
Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan’s Purges Are a Warning to Washington
“Whatever the merits of the government’s claims about the movement’s role in the coup, which Gülen himself denies, the speed and scale of the dismissals make it clear that many of those affected by the purge are caught up in it not because there is clear evidence of their involvement in the coup but merely because of their perceived association with the Gülen movement.”
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