Fethullah Gulen’s opinion on Turkey today


Date posted: May 17, 2017

Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic scholar, preacher and social advocate, who is blamed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of orchestrating the attempted military coup, penne an opinion-editorial published in The Washington Post on May 15.

He wrote: “As the presidents of the United States and Turkey meet at the White House on [May 16], the leader of the country I have called home for almost two decades comes face to face with the leader of my homeland. The two countries have a lot at stake, including the fight against the Islamic State, the future of Syria and the refugee crisis.”

He noted that the Turkey he once knew as a hope-inspiring country on its way to consolidating its democracy and a moderate form of secularism has become the dominion of a president who is doing everything he can to amass power and subjugate dissent.

Gulen called on the West to help Turkey return to a democratic path. He said the May 16 meeting, and next week’s Nato summit should be used as an opportunity to advance this effort.

Since the July 15 attempted coup, Erdogan has ordered the arrest, detention and firing of hundreds of thousands of Turkish citizens. According to Gulen, officials have also targeted participants of Hizmet, the peaceful humanitarian movement with which he is associated.

“As the coup attempt unfolded, I fiercely denounced it and denied any involvement,” wrote Gulen, who has been living in self-exile in the US since 1999. “Furthermore, I said that anyone who participated in the putsch betrayed my ideals. Nevertheless, and without evidence, Erdogan immediately accused me of orchestrating it from 5,000 miles away.

“The next day, the government produced lists of thousands of individuals whom they tied to Hizmet — for opening a bank account, teaching at a school or reporting for a newspaper — and treated such an affiliation as a crime and began destroying their lives,” Gulen wrote. “The lists included people who had been dead for months and people who had been serving at Nato’s European headquarters at the time. International watchdogs have reported numerous abductions, in addition to torture and deaths in detention. The government pursued innocent people outside Turkey, pressuring Malaysia, for instance, to deport three Hizmet sympathisers last week, including a school principal who has lived there for more than a decade, to face certain imprisonment and likely torture.”

To revers what Gulen describes as “democratic regression” in Turkey, he wrote that a new civilian constitution should be drafted through a democratic process involving the input of all segments of society and that is on par with international legal and humanitarian norms, and drawing lessons from the success of long-term democracies in the West.

Second, Gulen wrote that school curriculum that emphasises democratic and pluralistic values and encourages critical thinking must be developed.

“Every student must learn the importance of balancing state powers with individual rights, the separation of powers, judicial independence and press freedom, and the dangers of extreme nationalism, politicization of religion and veneration of the state or any leader.”

“I probably will not live to see Turkey become an exemplary democracy, but I pray that the downward authoritarian drift can be stopped before it is too late,” concluded Gulen.

Source: New Europe , May 17, 2017


Related News

My opinion on the book ‘Imam’s Army’

Conspiracy theory is very widespread in Turkey,  society is currently polarized. Those who share a positivistic and Islamophobic mindset refuse to recognize that religion can assume a positive role and hold the Gülen movement responsible for nearly all evil. ŞAHİN ALPAY, Monday April 11, 2011 During my contacts with European parliamentarians, officials and Turkey experts […]

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

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.

3-year-old child with fever denied treatment as father under arrest over Gülen links

A three-year-old child with high fever has been denied treatment at a hospital since his father was arrested over alleged links to the Gülen movement, leading a suspension in the kid’s subscription to the nation-wide social security system.

Secretary Kerry insists Turkey must provide legal, solid evidence against Fethullah Gulen

We’ve never had a formal request for extradition, and we have always said, “give us the evidence, show us the evidence”. We need a solid, legal foundation that meets the standard of extradition in order for our courts to approve such a request.

Decision to build road on school grounds nonsensical, say parents

Following the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Güngören Municipality’s decision to build a road within the courtyard of a private school affiliated with the Hizmet movement this week, the school management made a statement on Friday, saying that the parents of students at the school find the decision nonsensical.

What is wrong with the ‘Muslim’ world?

Many radical Islamists and Islamophobes are mirror images of each other. They want to divide the world into two diametrically opposing, antagonistic and constantly belligerent political camps: “dar al-Harb” and “dar al-Islam.” They hate co-existence. They hate interdependence…

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

Hizmet’s focus is on serving humanity, not only promoting Turkish

PBS airs story on Gulen Movement

Torture appeared widespread after Turkey coup: UN expert

Sabotage: government-Gülen movement relations

Haylamaz: Real Islam should be sought by looking at the Prophet Muhammad’s life

Turks, Rio de Janeiro gov’t sign agreement to further education efforts in Brazil

Turkey cooperates with smugglers to catch Gulen sympathizers seeking asylum abroad

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News