WSJ, Judiciary, Gulen Movement, and the Government

Nazli Ilicak
Nazli Ilicak


Date posted: April 4, 2013

The news I read in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) took me by great surprise. Supposedly, (former Gen. Staff) Ilker Basbug’s imprisonment for life was a message from the Gulen Movement to Erdogan, saying, “Beware! You cannot seek resolution on the Kurdish issue without our permission.”

The claim that there was an organizational grouping of members of the Movement in the judicial circle was first brought up when Prosecutor Sadrettin Kaya wished to interrogate Hakan Fidan, Counselor for MIT (National Intelligence Organization). Even if one doesn’t agree with the issue, the fact that the incident was considered to be an “overstepping of judicial boundaries” can at least be paid some respect. However, generalizations made without the support of any sound evidence contradicts with the gravity of the issue.

That said, did it not become obvious that all these claims had been nothing but nonsense after Fethullah Gulen’s support on the Imrali negotiation process? So, this comes to mean that the summoning of Fidan into interrogation was because of the fact that the MIT seemed to have some kind of part in the KCK operations. The prosecutor was obligated to carry on his interrogation, based on the evidence received from security forces and the current laws.

We love writing out different scenarios based solely on assumptions. There are some who do this through their bad intentions, wanting to weaken their target, AK Party. And there are others who get carried away with conspiracy theories and produced baseless claims. Supposedly, the imprisonment of Basbug was a warning from the Movement to Erdogan! As if the Prime Minister were against judging the attempts towards coup! On the contrary, Erdogan had only criticized the widespread apprehensions and the accusation of Basbug on being “a member of a terrorist organization”. Otherwise, he was not apt to covering up and letting go of those who were after psychological operations and black propaganda. After all, without the support of the political will, the process of judging the coups wouldn’t have been able to begin in the first place.

Source: [in Turkish] Sabah, 23 March 2013. English translation is retrieved from HizmetMovement.Com

Tags: Fethullah Gulen, Defamation of Fethullah Gulen

 

Tags: | |


Related News

Fethullah Gulen talking about Turkey’s failed coup: Responses to Philadelphia World Affairs Council

Right now, all critical voices are silenced in Turkey and only the voice of those in power is heard. Consequently both Turkish people and outside observers are misled. The misperception about the coup continues because there is only one voice. The government interprets everything according to their calculations. They are using this event to express the antipathy they already had against Hizmet movement. The coup attempt is serving to justify their plans to persecute Hizmet movement.

Turkish “religious advisors” are keeping an eye on Erdogan opponents in Belgium

Turkey is pressuring “religious advisors” to keep an eye on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opponents in 38 countries, including Belgium. In Belgium, how the religious councillor at the Turkish embassy behaved could be seen as interference.

Applicants affiliated with CHP, Hizmet movement face discrimination

Following the tension between the government and the Hizmet movement — inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — the government has based its recruitment policy on “color lists” to avoid employing people affiliated with some groups such as the Hizmet movement and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the public sector, a Turkish daily claimed on Monday.

A strong message for Erdogan

Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, promotes a philosophy that comprises elements of moderate Islam and Sufi mysticism, free-market economics, and interfaith tolerance. That he has a wide following in Turkey (and elsewhere) is not in doubt. As for Erdogan, he can be an Islamist sultan or he can be the democratic leader of a trusted NATO ally. But he can’t be both, and the time has come to make him choose.

Gülen: Despite differences in method peace process in Kurdish issue should be supported

Yet another show of support for Turkey’s ongoing settlement process — aiming to end the decades-old bloodshed in the country — has been voiced, this time from Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who said some people might oppose the government’s method of solving the settlement process but for the sake of peace the process should be […]

Toward a party state

At this point, the only thing Erdoğan can do is manufacture false charges and evidence against the Hizmet movement, which wouldn’t be persuasive. In a normal democratic state where the rule of law is cherished, there must be concrete evidence to press charges against anyone, and those so charged are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty. In a party state, however, imaginary charges are first voiced and then meddlesome public authorities manufacture crimes and criminals to fit those charges.

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

Are there autonomous Hizmet groups?

The Journalists and Writers Foundation’s suggestions for a constitution

What is at stake is not prep schools [in Turkey]

Three Turkish diplomats seeking asylum in Germany after coup

Punjab government and Turk NGO Kimse Yok Mu sign protocol

Parallel hearts…

Intel chief first gives anti-Hizmet file to Obama, then visits Gülen, STV president Karaca says

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News