Turks in South Africa tell a different narrative about Erdogan

Turks in South Africa tell a different narrative about Erdogan


Date posted: September 17, 2017

Yaseen Kippie

The Hizmet Movement, founded by exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, hosted a panel discussion by its South African branch last weekend. The purpose of the event was to clarify misconceptions about the movement and its involvement in the current political situation in Turkey.

Its philosophies, history and activities, is claimed to be purely “social, and not political,” according to Aydin Inal, regional director of the Turqouise Harmony Institute, a project of the Hizmet Movement in South Africa.

Inal says the movement “does not get involved in party politics”. Rather, it has been pulled into the political context by (Turkish President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan to suppress the movement due the increase in its followers.

“The aim of the panel discussion is so that people may learn more about the movement, from the source itself and not from warped media controlled by the Turkish government.”

The Hizmet Movement has been in South Africa for 20 years, establishing nine schools nationwide. These ‘Star Colleges’ are known to produce excellent results, ranking among the highest schools in the country.

Last year’s coup attempt in Turkey has brought the Hizmet Movement into global political focus, with Turkish President Recep Erdogan blaiming the Movement for the incident.

Lots has been made about the relationship between Erdogan and Gulen, who despite being averse to each other, used to be in a close alliance.

“When the Erdogan government came into power in 2002, they spoke a different language and were pro-democracy. Today, its democracy lacks freedom. They moved away from the values they spoke about. The Erdogan of 2002 and that of 2017 is very different,” Inal remarked.

Aynal Inal feels that those who blame the Hizmet movement for the political situation in Turkey has fallen prey to fallacious arguments and conspiracy theories.

“Hizmet is not beyond criticism, but to say it has contributed to the political turmoil ties in with the government narrative. If it were so, it would be a suicide, because how could we operate in South Africa while our Movement has made a coup in Turkey?

The government says that there are people who have confessed. These people have been tortured so badly, and their bones broken. In Turkey, there is more than 50 000 people in jail, including 17 000 women and 600 babies. So they are not jailing any Israeli agents.”

The Hizmet Movement says that Fethullah Gulen has asked for an international commission to investigate the accusations.

With President Erdogan seen as the heroic future leader of the Muslims of the world, alternative narratives show this may not be the case.

 

Source: The Voice of the Cape FM , September 15, 2017


Related News

Efforts to accuse Hizmet movement of conspiracy failed, says lawyer

With the courts continuing to release police officers arrested in government-backed investigations, the lawyer of one of these officers says the court decisions have shown that the government is failing to demonstrate that the faith-based Hizmet movement was behind efforts to overthrow the government.

CSOs slam ongoing black propaganda against Hizmet movement

The Law and Democracy Platform, which includes 60 CSOs in İzmir province, held a press conference to protest the polarizing language used by government officials. The representative of the platform, Ömer Mustafa Aytekin, said there have been very unpleasant developments that risk democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.

Samples of Kimse Yok Mu Ramadan Aid Activities Worldwide (II)

Kimse Yok Mu (KYM), set to reach out to 103 countries as a part of its Ramadan campaign, continues to deliver aid worldwide. The countries it delivers aid includes Burkina Faso, Yemen, Venezuela and Niger.

Deputy speaker of Kenya Parliament: “I Gave Out Fethullah Gülen’s books to Congressmen”

Farah Maalim, Kenya’s deputy speaker of the parliament, thinks that the Turkish schools in his country, and in the rest of Africa “changes lives”.

Somalia agrees Turkey’s anti-Gülen crackdown, Kenya, Germany and Indonesia resist

In Kenya, where Gulen’s Omeriye Foundation has grown from its first school in 1998 in the vast Nairobi slum of Kibera to a nationwide network of academies, the government has resisted pressure to close them down. Turkish officials have requested Kenya to shut down the Gulenist schools on a number of occasions before the attempted coup.

Under Erdogan oppression, autocracy rules in Turkey

A day after Turkey’s notoriously repressive regime led by an autocrat president issued sweeping arrest warrants for 42 journalists on July 25 on all sorts of trumped-up charges, I decided that the time had come for me to pack up and move out of the country.

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

Turkish authorities withdraw license of station linked to PM Erdogan’s opponents

Erdoğan after one-man rule: CHP leader

Turkey Is No Longer a Reliable Ally

Fethullah Gülen writes for Politico Europe: Muslims have a unique responsibility in fighting terror

Gov’t media maintain attack on Bank Asya

Reps urge Federal Govt to intervene in Nigerian students’ detention in Turkey

Gülen donates $15,000 to Japan victims

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News