Who wants peace?

Orhan Miroğlu
Orhan Miroğlu


Date posted: January 10, 2013

ORHAN MİROĞLU

The Hizmet movement also wants peace. And peace is of course desired by the movement’s leader, Fethullah Gülen, who has worked for so many years to see the brotherhood between Turks and Kurds improved. Words of sincerity and courage spoken by Gülen should stand as examples for the leaders of our political parties.

Currently in Turkey, the horizon holds what appears to be the possibility of peace. Of course, there are those who do not wish to see peace and, in fact, if we look at what has been written and said in the past two weeks, we see lists of the “official views” held by those terrified by the prospect of such peace. I will leave for another day my thoughts on who does not want peace and why they don’t want it. Today, I want to write about those who do want peace.

The elected government wants to end the Kurdish war, bringing to life a Turkey wherein armed people do not populate the mountain ranges. The prime minister and the government want peace.

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) voters, or half of all the Kurds and Turks in Turkey, want peace. These are the same people who lent their support to the government during the constitutional reform process and in the reforms that led to a new recognition of the Kurdish identity.

As for the “revolutionary people’s war” that has led to the loss of 1,400 lives and has been carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) since the attacks at Silvan, it has not produced the results so desired by those who do not want peace and those who want to see Kurds “remain in an atmosphere of conflict and war psychology.” What’s more, Kurds themselves are not declaring, “Alright, that’s enough, we can no longer live with Turks,” before moving to abandon large cities like İstanbul, Mersin, Adana and İzmir. Nor have these Kurds taken up arms to form “real defense forces” in big cities throughout Turkey. The recent Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) operations had a significant effect in disabling the capabilities of the armed protest wing of the PKK. This was despite the fact that PKK leaders had asserted that they would be bringing the war to large Turkish cities. But neither Kurds nor Turks bowed to this strategy. Turks did not say: “50,000 have been killed, there are 3,000 villages that have been erased from the map and you are still in pursuit of war and still trying to see one-sided autonomy being declared in Diyarbakır. We don’t want you here anymore; go somewhere else if you want warfare.”

Those who would have loved to see such an ethnic war have been deflated and disappointed; despite all the disaster scenarios and terrible events, the Kurdish problem has not been transformed into a Turkish problem. The mere hint of peace scares those who oppose peace, though it brings joy to the families who have lost their sons in battle. This is why they fully support the government’s talks with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

We know that this is the same case on the Kurdish side. Kurdish families who have lived through great pain also do not wish to see this war continue. They have paid a price and this is a price they are prepared to sacrifice in the name of peace. At the same time, some Kurds are under heavy pressure from some factions that have never paid such a price to remain silent. Just as there are those who speak in the name of Turkish families who have lost their sons to warfare, it is also true that in Kurdish areas, there are those who speak in the names of the thousands of mothers and fathers who are in pain over the loss of their sons. There are those who carry out politics over the dead bodies of these sons. The very same people who have experienced the pain and tragedy of war are the ones who desire peace in the very marrow of their bones.

The Hizmet movement (aka Gulen movement) also wants peace. And peace is of course desired by the movement’s leader, Fethullah Gülen, who has worked for so many years to see the brotherhood between Turks and Kurds improved. Words of sincerity and courage spoken by Gülen should stand as examples for the leaders of our political parties and everyone needs to think once more about the meaning contained in his message of belief, courage, peace and brotherhood. As Gülen notes, if there is to be peace, those who drank poison ought to be able to say that they drank sweetened fruit juice instead.

If you are at all intent on seeing peace, how better to describe your intent that the above words? I believe that those who agree with this description are those who want peace and those who will be pushing for peace. Let us all join together in hoping that the numbers and strength of those who want peace will increase.

Source: Today’s Zaman January 10, 2013


Related News

Commentary: Abuses rampant in wake of Turkish coup

We don’t know a lot. But what we do know should cause us to ask our elected officials to look carefully at any request for extradition for Fethullah Gulen. We don’t know everything, but we know that the post-coup crackdown has included public appeals “to be protected from the evil things of educated people.” Nearly 60,000 have been detained. Some 1,600 university academic deans have been relieved of their positions.

Fethullah Gulen’s Message of Condolences and Condemnation for Terrorist Attack Against Mosque in Egypt

This terrorist attack that took place during a prayer on a Friday, a sacred day for Muslims, shows that the curse of terrorism has no respect for anything sacred, whether a church or mosque. Islam cannot be related to any such murderous acts. A true Muslim cannot be a terrorist and a terrorist cannot be a true Muslim.

Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement by Annabel Hertz

Annabel Hertz has over a decade of leadership and consulting experience in policy development and external relations for issues-based/stakeholder organizations in the areas of international relations and sustainable development. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in international relations at American University. Previously, she was an adjunct professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International […]

Was there a sincere alliance between the Gulen Movement and Erdogan?

NRT correspondent Huner Anwer interviews Fethullah Gulen in his Pennsylvania residence ask the crucial question on alliance between the Gulen Movement and Erdogan. Gulen says, briefly, there has never been sincere alliance between them but the movement supported Erdogan as long as Erdogan stayed in line with democratic values and honored rule of law.

Closer look at empire of cleric accused in Turkey coup attempt

Turkey’s crackdown of those suspected in the failed July 15 military coup widens, with the firing of 492 people at its top Islamic authority. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is zeroing in on a Muslim cleric living in rural Pennsylvania, whom he accuses of masterminding the coup attempt.

Fresh resignation in Turkey’s ruling AKP over graft scandal

Çetin also denied that he had spoken about resigning with Gülen, adding that the U.S.-based scholar did not give orders to anyone. “He does not interfere with anyone’s preferences. You only take advise and he gives his personal opinion. He has actually persuaded me to stay until today,” the resigned deputy said.

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

[Part 2] Islamic scholar Gülen says he cannot remain silent on corruption

Medialog debates new media challenges at İstanbul conference

If whoever touched Gülen was doomed, we would have been ashes by now

Coup Commission members: Now is similar to Feb. 28 coup period

At least 275 including elderly woman detained over Gulen links over past day

Gülen sues Ankara chief public prosecutor for defamation after terrorist label

17,000 women, 515 babies in Turkish prisons: SCF report

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News