Turkish Olympiads – A Blessing from God

Nearly 3 million people attended the Cultural Festival held on May 24-26 in the Aegean city of İzmir. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Mehmet Yaman)
Nearly 3 million people attended the Cultural Festival held on May 24-26 in the Aegean city of İzmir. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Mehmet Yaman)


Date posted: June 24, 2013

DR. ALI BAYRAM

We had no idea in our world, what it was like abroad. All we used to know was our village, town or our province at best. The saying “Destination Antep, food molasses!” fittingly portrays our case, indeed.

It was in 1990s. We were on our way to visit Fethullah Gulen Hodja Efendi [a title used for Mr. Gulen by his sympathizers, meaning esteemed teacher] in Izmir. When we arrived at his place we saw him with some friends around. He gathered us in a small hall and said: “Listen my friends. Let us embrace the Turkic countries newly liberated from Russian rule and stand by them through education. If we don’t, others will do and new troubles will emerge. Then we’ll never be able to go there again. So, we should hurry. Send one friend to such and such capitals and get them discover job opportunities for tradesmen and back educational initiatives as much as they can.” So, from then on, while some were leaving for these places, one by one, and new volunteers were signing up after each departure, demands were voiced for new destinations, on the other hand.

In one of his sermons, Gulen said, “My friends, please hurry and do not slack off. God assigned acceptance for this nation on earth. You will find acceptance wherever you go.”

So, those friends tasked to discover schooling opportunities made their way into the capital cities Gulen named. Today, in amazement, we are witnessing the point these initiatives, which initially started with only few locations namely Baku, Tashkent, Almaty, Samarkand, Ashgabat and Bishkek, have reached in 20 years.

In early years, our friends were frequently bringing the people they made acquaintance with from these countries to Turkey. Even back then, Turkey could progress its schooling activities, which, although low in numbers, were enjoying quite exemplary conditions. These initiatives would be the first encounter and merging of Turkish people with Russians and Central Asians after the Cold War. Our friends, under Gulen’s guidance, thus made strong contacts with both the locals and officials in a very short period of time.

From then on, the schools were launched and a series of visits to Turkey started, by inspiring confidence and finding acceptance. Businessmen and tradesmen one after another departed to settle in those countries, and ultimately formed bridges of friendship.

From the very first day, as if he foresaw today, Gulen would motivate those feeling overwhelmed and weary of this challenging mission and say: “The torch ignited today is going to light up the entire world in the very near future.” In response to his words, each individual would double his/her efforts and sponsors would increase their funds several fold thinking that their contributions didn’t cover the work done.

And today, what a wonderful scene it is that thousands of students from 140 countries are coming to Turkey and sharing the same language and culture, which is achieved in such a short period of time. That even the largest stadiums overflow with people indicates how deeply the phenomenon is adopted in the consciences. Both people’s appreciation of the Turkish Olympiads and their race in sponsorship are great blessings from God.

It was an unforgettable moment when the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent his regards to their countries via these volunteers of world peace. No matter how exhausted he had been feeling for days and after a 3-hour speech to millions earlier the same day, he attended the event without overlooking it and expressed his appreciation of these activities in admiration.

To be able to applaud even better and more successful services in the future will win our nation a new voice and breath. A thousand thanks to those involved, organizers and our warm-hearted and selfless people nationwide who contributed to all these.

Source: [in Turkish] HaberAktuel, 17 June, 2013. English translation is retrieved from HizmetMovement.Com


Related News

Unlawful acts revealed in police raids on Gülen-inspired schools

Another illegal practice was revealed on Wednesday regarding police raids on schools inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement, on Sept. 21, as officers refused to give a copy of the police report of seized items to school authorities despite demands by the institution’s lawyers.

Turkish imams spied on Gülen sympathizers in Romania as well

A report published by The Black Sea news website on Saturday revealed that imams from Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) spied on people sympathetic to Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen and the movement he inspired in Romania as well.

Man abducted by Turkish intel exposes torture during 9-month enforced disappearance

Gökhan Türkmen, who was allegedly abducted by Turkish intelligence officers and kept in a non-official detention center for 271 days, has said he was tortured, subjected to severe threats and sexually harassed and abused during his enforced disappearance.

Journalist: I was threatened over not supporting government

Seasoned journalist Cüneyt Özdemir has said he was threatened by two members of pro-government media outlets and pressured to jump on the bandwagon by lashing out at the Hizmet movement and hosting a commentator who Özdemir said is a staunch supporter of conspiracy theories.

Georgian NGOs Stage Protest in Support of Arrested Turkish College Manager

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have gathered at the government administration in support of Mustafa Emre Cabuk, one of the managers of the Turkish Demirel College, who was sentenced to three-month pre-extradition detention.

European court says Turkey’s Ergenekon arrests legal

EMRE DEMİR, STRASBOURG Europe’s top court has said the arrest of chief Ergenekon defendant Tuncay Özkan is legal, rejecting the plaintiff’s complaint that he was deprived of his right to a fair trial. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) accepted Özkan v. Turkey despite the fact that Özkan had not exhausted all domestic judicial […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Arrested After Giving Birth: Turkey’s Post-coup Crackdown Reportedly Hits Maternity Wards

US-based Turkish cleric denies involvement in coup plot

Damage assessment report for Erdoğan

Turkish refugee in Spain: “If I go back to Turkey, I’ll be arrested and tortured”

Yet another woman detained due to Gülen links shortly after delivery

I support Turkish schools with all my heart

Kimse Yok Mu to send aid for Syrian refugees with 50 TIRs

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News