An opposition out of Gulen Community?


Date posted: July 15, 2013

Mehmet Barlas

I recently got a phone call from the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent Daria Aslamova saying she would like to meet with me. So I invited her to my house.

She said she had been working on a future news coverage on the impacts of Gezi Parki-related protests on Turkish politics. She had met with people from various circles before me.

I am a journalist who observed global incidents at the scene and conducted interviews, after all. If I see a country with a politically hesitant landscape, I first of all wrap my head around the condition alternative political parties are in.

My Russian colleague asked no question on CHP’s (Republican People’s Party) stance and power. Instead, she brought up “Gulen community” and asked her question by drawing an analogy that I would have never imagined: Can we refer to Fethullah Gulen as “the Muslim version of Soros?”

A political Movement?

Noting that it’s an interesting analogy, I told Gulen community is not a political movement and its participants refer to their movement as “hizmet.” As our conversation moved on, I got the feeling that the correspondent regarded Gulen community as the most influential organized opposition movement against the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party).

In parenthesis, when she was commenting on the impacts of political and radical Islam on the Muslim population in Russia, she suggested that Gulen community’s moderate and conciliatory approach can be an alternative to al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.

She had earlier given remarks on Gulen community on a TV show in Moscow and said it was impossible for Russia to benefit from this movement on the ground that Gulen resides and has relations in the US.

The community’s public image

It is not unusual for me and this Russian journalist to speculate on the Gulen community. Countless commentaries and analyses about Gulen community have appeared on the most prominent newspapers of the West to date.

What matters is what Mr. Gulen and the community think about their public image.

Aren’t the speculative news and commentaries, arguing Gulen community is against PM Erdogan and AKP, excessively covered by our media? Didn’t we read those claiming Gulenist prosecutors attempted an investigation on MIT (Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization) undersecretary and prime minister reacted to that? Don’t we recall the hearsay news that when the journalists harshly critical of PM Erdogan visited Gulen in Pennsylvania they had a sort of heart-to-heart talk on the issue.

Call for return

And wasn’t it their split on attitude in Mavi Marmara incident which started the break-up, according to some? Or didn’t the negative answer to Erdogan’s call for Gulen to return to the country lead to various interpretations?

In short, the image of the community ultimately reached the point of a Russian journalist’s attempt to conclude an anti-Erdogan opposition portrait. And this attempt seems to have taken her off the ground so much so that she regards Gulen as “Turkish Soros.” What seems to be missing here is the concept “political risk.”

AKP and Erdogan will be faced with components of the political risk they carry in case of a failure. However, as is seen in past experiences, whenever an officially Jacobean secular ideology interrupts democratic politics, organisms called ‘community’ have to face “penal risks”. Wasn’t the same risk that took Gulen to the US?

Sharing the power

Those carrying political risks do not share their power with foundations, associations or communities but ensure their existence and freedoms. Without engaging in active politics and acknowledging the risks of engaging in politics in the Middle East, claiming “We have a share in the power” will only meet reactions.

In sum, such efforts, both by the Russian and Turkish media, to form an opposition movement out of Gulen community against AKP will go no further than being futile attempts.

These can be, at best, scenarios invented by those who underestimate Gulen’s reason, intellect and awareness and are ignorant of the lessons he’s driven from experiences.

Source: HizmetMovement.Com , July 15, 2013


Related News

Power struggle for the state or deep rift about Turkey?

As an external observer, I see a profound rift having taken place between Erdoğan — more than anybody else in the AKP — and the Hizmet movement; and that has much less to do with the power struggle than a resistance to another massive, individual attempt to accumulate power in one person.What has defined Erdoğan’s way with various social segments since 2011 is to alienate, antagonize, suppress and devour. So was his pattern with the dissident Kurds, Alevis, leftists, liberals and now Hizmet.

600 complaints filed alleging slander, libel against Gülen

A total of 600 complaints have been filed against those who have slandered and libeled Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen since a major corruption and bribery investigation became public on Dec. 17 of last year.

Fethullah Gulen Acquitted

The Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals has rejected the Chief Prosecutor’s Office’s objection to the acquittal of scholar Fethullah Gulen, which was upheld by the appeals court in early March. Gulen had been charged with “establishing an illegal organization”. The objection was soundly defeated by a 16 to 7 vote. Fethullah Gulen’s acquittal has been […]

The Gülen community and the AKP

TAHA AKYOL The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), which is in line with Fethullah Gülen, has issued an announcement on relations with the ruling party. It is certain that Gülen made the last retouches on the text himself. Gülen defines the movement shortly as “Hizmet” (translated roughly as “service” in English). I asked those who […]

Gülen’s lawyer rejects ‘letter of alliance’ to PKK

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whose ideas inspired the faith based Hizmet movement, denied claims made by the Sabah daily claiming that Gülen sent a letter of alliance to the PKK

Fate of Pak-Turk Schools: Erdogan, Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Maa’rif Foundation?

At the heart of the matter is the question of Maa’rif’s credentials to take over the schools instead of its Pakistani management. Turkey is least known for its standard of education. Moreover, the Erdogan-backed organisation is neither experienced in the education field nor apolitical. The organisation is already scared with allegation of child sexually abuse in Turkey.

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

Indonesian authorities request 100 more Turkish schools

Victims of Erdogan’s witch-hunt and purge get their voice heard

Champion of YGS university exam from Hizmet-affiliated FEM prep courses

Turkish people upset that democratic progress is being reversed: Islamic scholar Gülen

Karzai honored Turkish schools in his country

Arrested vet diagnosed with cancer, not allowed for treatment at hospital

Nigerian education minister says Nigeria indebted to Turkish schools

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News