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

DisclaimerThe 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.

 

 


Related News

Government as a black propaganda machine

In an effort to distract public opinion from the graft probe and the alleged involvement of the prime minister and his inner circle in corruption, Erdoğan has been conducting psychological warfare. Considering the Hizmet movement responsible as the force behind the investigation, Erdoğan declared the movement an enemy.

Rubin says Gülen’s extradition would convince Erdoğan that blackmail works

“If Gülen is turned over, however, I suspect relations will get worse because the extradition will convince Erdoğan that blackmail and bluster work,” said Rubin in an interview published in the Vocal Europe magazine on Monday.

Heightened anxieties in Kosovo after arrest of ‘Gulenist educator’

A civil servant: “Tens of thousands of people, educated people, academics, journalists, lawyers, and many others, are scattered around the world for different reasons and are trying to find a safe place where they can be sheltered and continue their lives with their families. The Ugur Toksoy case was the point when Kosovo’s level of safety, or its breaking point, was put to test.”

Failed coup in Turkey hits Albany’s Turkish Cultural Center

A failed military coup in Turkey in July continues to reverberate locally with the layoff of the only paid employee at the Turkish Cultural Center of Albany and cuts in its programs, which include language and cooking classes.

Pro-gov’t media knows no limits in ’parallel’ claims

Ever since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a battle against the faith-based Hizmet movement after a corruption probe went public on Dec. 17, 2013, almost no day has passed without pro-government media outlets’ bringing forward allegations about the “parallel structure or state” and associating any negative development in the country with this so-called structure.

American academic: Hizmet Movement serves for entire humanity

Speaking at a cenference in the southern province of Antalya, Soltes shared his observations about the Hizmet Movement. “I saw this on every people I met: I see that everybody, who is inspired by Gülen’s thoughts, help people with no thought of personal gain,” said Soltes adding that Hizmet Movement serves for entire humanity in the world.

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

Nigeria’s House of Representatives wants Turkey to know that Nigerian lives matter

Social and Philosophical Aspects of Fethullah Gulen’s Teachings

Hizmet is not a terror group, they embraces the entire human family

Pak-Turk School Campus groundbreaking ceremony

Lamb-hunt in the Netherlands

Romanian-Turkish Schools gear up for flood survivors

Dozens of the anti-Gülen and anti-Gülen Movement books on the shelves

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News