EU anti-terror chief: Gülen network not terrorist organization

European counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove | Julien Warnard/EPA
European counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove | Julien Warnard/EPA


Date posted: November 30, 2017

GINGER HERVEY

The EU doesn’t believe Fethullah Gülen’s network is a terrorist organization and is not “likely to change its position soon,” the bloc’s counter-terrorism coordinator told Reuters in an interview published Thursday.

Gilles de Kerchove said the EU would need “substantive” evidence to change its mind on the network of the cleric Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blames for masterminding a coup against his government last year.

Around 50,000 people have been detained and 150,000 suspended in Turkey because they are alleged to be linked to Gülen’s network, with the EU as well as countries including Germany and the U.S. raising concerns about the mass arrests.

Kerchove said that before someone is arrested, “concrete substantive data which shows that they were involved” must be obtained.

Gülen, who denies being behind the failed coup, has been based in the United States since 1999. Turkey has unsuccessfully fought for his extradition since the attempt to depose Erdoğan, but the U.S. has refused, saying it needs more evidence. Turkey has also sought to extradite others with alleged links to the cleric from EU countries.

“The decision on extradition is in the hands of all member states, and most of the time the judiciary, the independent judiciary, and they need hard evidence,” Kerchove said.

Source: Politico , November 30, 2017


Related News

WSJ: Turks fleeing Erdogan fuel new influx of refugees to Greece

Around 14,000 people crossed the Evros frontier from January through September of this year according to the Greek police. Around half of them were Turkish citizens. Many are judges, military personnel, civil servants or business people who have fallen under Turkish authorities’ suspicion, had their passports canceled and chosen an illegal route out.

Who is the winner?

The Gülen community is a movement of volunteers. The real reason for the row is not the community’s attempt to meddle in politics. It is due to its sheer size and public image. As he did with other groups or communities, Erdoğan sought to take full control of the Hizmet movement in an effort to consolidate his power. Following the defeat of the military tutelage, the government saw a convergence of power. However, the Hizmet movement was not a piece of cake which it could swallow easily. The government had previously purged itself of many bureaucrats who are close to the community.

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

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. The text messages ask for individuals to inform on members of the Hizmet movement. The impact of these messages is to create fear within members of the Hizmet movement in the UK and who are active in social work within and beyond Muslim communities.

Gulistan schools in Kosovo to continue education despite its abducted teachers

Gulistan Educational Institutions has declared that they will continue their activities despite their abducted teachers. 5 of their teachers were abducted by Turkish Intelligence Agency in cooperation with Kosovo’s intel agency, which shocked the global education community and protested in many countries including USA, Canada, and UK.

Five new mosque-cemevi projects on the way

There are plans to launch joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) projects in five other Turkish provinces in addition to the recently launched project in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, the Radikal daily reported on Tuesday. According to the daily, the locations of the new mosque-cemevi projects will be the Kartal district in İstanbul, […]

Turkey’s Kurdish question and the Hizmet movement

This is the title of a new report authored by Dr. Mustafa Gurbuz and published on the website of the US-based think tank Rethink Institute

Latest News

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

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Turks in America condemn unlawful government action during the corruption probe

Global Muslim networks: How far they have travelled

Jurist’s report highlighting illegality of Karaca’s arrest submitted to top court

Turkish school declared most successful in Denmark

Erdoğan media’s accusations against Gülen and Hizmet

Yes, Religion Can Still Be A Force For Good In The World

Cold Turkey: Erdogan’s withdrawal from democracy

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News