A solid step in Gulen movement Alevite community dialogue: Mosque-cemevi-soup kitchen project


Date posted: April 3, 2013

The Gulen movement and Cem Foundation of the Alevite community have agreed to launch an important project. They will build a mosque, a cemevi (Alevite house of gathering) and a soup kitchen side by side in the capital of Turkey, Ankara.

Gulen (Hizmet) movement takes a concrete step forward to extend common shared values with Alevite community of Turkey. The dialog that has been built up between the two communities in various programs over the years came to the point where they plan on a solid project.

According to the news from Rotahaber, a committee from Gulen movement recently paid a visit to Prof Dr. Izzettin Dogan, the chairman of Cem Foundation. The committee offered a joint project: a mosque and a cemevi side by side in Ankara. Pleased to hear the project and Dogan added: “We should also build a soup kitchen next to them so that there will be a place where mosque and cemevi congregations can get together.” His offer was accepted and the visit ended up with a decision to implement the project.

They already acquired almost 2 acres land in Ankara for the project and started preliminary works.

Dogan briefly explained this project to the of the Cem Foundation.

Gulen-Dogan friendship

Gulen and Dogan had built warm friendship through the activities of The Journalists and Writers Foundation in 1990s. This friendship had caused great excitement in public those days.

Their friendship had started with an interview. Dogan liked Gulen’s answer to a question in the interview: “Why do you prefer opening schools in the Central Asian countries to Arap countries.” Gulen had answered: “We preferred to find places like Turkic countries who would welcome us with open arms. You may reach out to Turkish world with Sufism. The number of cemevis must increase beside mosques.”

Source: RotaHaber April 1, 2013

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

 

 

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Erdoğan gov’t threatened to ‘wipe TUSKON off market map,’ says chairman

One of Turkey’s most influential business confederations, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), was threatened with being “wiped off the market” by the government after TUSKON made critical statements about government policies, chairman Rızanur Meral told the media on Friday.

Kalashnikov-carrying police raid Gülen-inspired private and prep schools based on ‘reasonable suspicion’

Police carrying Kalashnikov rifles and inspectors from a number of government bodies raided 14 private and prep schools in Mardin province on Tuesday based on “reasonable suspicion” that the schools are involved in tax fraud, a move that comes as part of the government-orchestrated operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement.

Turkish women make a difference in Africa

“Kimse Yok Mu has been very active in Africa providing humanitarian and development assistance. State-level or diplomatic presence has occasionally followed the NGO presence in Africa,” Cevik told SES Türkiye.

GYV rejects claims that Hizmet movement dominates Turkey’s judiciary

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) has strongly criticized and denied news reports suggesting that the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, dominates the judiciary and bureaucratic positions within the Turkish state, calling the claims groundless. The claims appeared at a time when prosecutors summed up their case in […]

CHP submits parliamentary question on anti-Hizmet plot

The probe in question accuses the movement of working to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and possessing arms intended to be used to this end, among other fictitious and unsubstantiated claims.

Erdoğan planning to stage another coup in bid to eradicate remaining dissidents, columnist claims

According to TR724 columnist Selin Tanbay, Erdoğan’s speech was nothing but the first signal of what she calls ‘a new plot in the making’ against the sympathizers of the Gülen movement and other dissident voices. Giving his Ramadan holiday message on September 13, Erdoğan kept his eyes away from the teleprompter and let his plans slip out for a while, Tanbay said.

Latest News

Sacramento leaders gather for Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan

SEO Skill Suite: Tools for Keyword Research, Technical & Backlink Analysis

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

In Case You Missed It

Celebrating Ramadan with Turkish asylum seekers

School Children, Not Tools Of War: A Nigerian’s opinion on Gulen, Hizmet and Erdogan

Why Gulen-sympathizers with their babies risk death to flee Erdogan regime

Abant tackles contentious issue of drafting new constitution

Turkey’s Kurdish question and the Hizmet movement

Turkish-Australian businessmen blocked from G-20 summit

My Father, Academic, Arrested In Turkey Purge

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News