Is There ‘The Cemaat’ Under Every Stone?

Cuneyt Ozdemir
Cuneyt Ozdemir


Date posted: February 9, 2012

Cuneyt Ozdemir

Nazli Ilıcak, the author of “Is There The Cemaat Under Every Stone?”,  queries our new bogeyman, the Cemaat (also known as the Hizmet or Gulen Movement), and determines the reasons lying underneath this fear with concrete evidence.

Ilıcak kindly sent me an autographed copy of her book, which was so intriguing that I read it all in one shot. The core of the book focuses itself on the counter-arguments, which come to the defense of the followers of Gulen Movement, criticized of harboring hidden agendas. The writing style is concise, forward and factual—every line of the text is supported by documentation. The book starts off with quotations from the Gulen Movement’s skeptical opponents, then disproves each assertion with official documents, interviews and other concrete verification.

Divided into two chapters, Ilıcak’s book covers the claims of the Ergenekon lawsuit, Hanefi Avci’s book, the documents discovered at ODA TV and the answers given to Nedim Sener. The most interesting part in the first chapter, in my opinion, is the way in which she disproves the allegations against Ali Fuat Yilmazer, the intelligence officer who played a key role in the Ergenekon case. The second chapter of the book includes the prosecution of Fethullah Gulen and the subsequent interviews with him.

Ilıcak reaches her conclusions based on fact, using interviews, official documents, interviews and other hard evidence to make her point. Her book is a valuable source of information, especially for those who have only read texts from Fethullah Gulen’s opponents. In understanding an issue, it’s imperative to hear both sides of the story. This book does just that, while answering the call of those who search for the Cemaat under every stone.

* “under every stone” is a Turkish expression meaning “behind every crime or misdeed”

Note: Mr. Cuneyt Ozdemir’s column is longer and discussing other issues as well. We translated only the paragraphs related to the Hizmet Movement.

Disclaimer: The original article is in Turkish. Slight deviations from the original meaning may have occurred due to difficulties in translating phrases and idioms. PII volunteers translated the article.

Source: Radikal Newspaper , January 22, 2012

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Hizmet movement and perceptions

We are going through a very critical period. We need the common sense and support of all the precious members of the Hizmet movement as we have never needed them before. We must protect our democratic gains. I pen this article as a person who closely sided with the Hizmet movement during the attacks of Ergenekon — a clandestine organization nested within the state trying to overthrow or manipulate the democratically elected government — and the deep state, and who backed its justified objections to the government’s plan to shut down the prep schools.

Book Review — Fethullah Gülen: A Life of Hizmet

Gülen comes off in the book as a charismatic figure, who is defined by humility. You can understand why some might find him troubling. He has inspired great loyalty. Yet, like the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis, he has used this charisma and loyalty for the good. A biography like this is important because it brings to life both the person, whose vision led to the creation of the movement and the nature of the movement itself.

Imam in the Middle

Gulen is nothing if not prolific. He has written more than 60 books, most of which are available in English. It’s likely that an equal number of books have been written about Gulen or the movement he inspired. The man and the movement are subjects of myriad dissertations and scholarly treatises.

Top judge, paralysed after cancer surgery, under arrest at hospital

A Supreme Court of Appeals member until he was dismissed, Mustafa Erdogan has been kept in a holding cell at a private hospital since Dec. 30, 2016. His daughter Buket Erdogan said the top judge was denied right to “trial without arrest” although he was paralysed after a surgery on his brain.

Prep school transformation plan violates Constitution, experts say

DERVİŞ GENÇ, İSTANBUL A government plan to shut down Turkey’s prep schools — or “transform” them, as the government argues — violates the Turkish Constitution and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), according to experts. “Parliament can neither close the prep schools with a law nor force them to transform. […]

Defamation campaign against Gülen draws heavy criticism

Many prominent figures in the society have slammed an apparent defamation campaign targeting Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen through the inclusion of his name among the list of most dangerous terrorists, saying that Gülen is a figure who has devoted his entire life to peace building efforts.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gulen Deplores Recent Attacks on Christians in Pakistan

Zambia seeks flow of Turkish investments at TUSKON event

CCTV shows school principal being ‘abducted’ as post-coup crackdown in Turkey spreads to Malaysia

The Hizmet Movement and Solutions to Today’s Problems

455 water wells opened in Pakistan thanks to Kimse Yok Mu

Yet another Turkish school inaugurated in Nigeria

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

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News