Dozen people hold demonstration in front of Zaman to protest corruption coverage


Date posted: December 22, 2013

İSTANBUL

About a dozen people gathered on Sunday in front of Zaman, Turkey’s largest-circulated newspaper, to protest what they claim is critical reporting of the largest corruption scandal in Turkish history, in which senior members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government have been implicated.

The protest followed a series of public remarks over the weekend by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who attacked Zaman without mentioning it by name, urging people at rallies not to pay any attention to what was being reported by certain media organizations.

Responding to Erdoğan’s call, protestors, some bearded, showed up at the Zaman building, chanting slogans like, “We are soldiers of Tayyip.” They also brought a money-counting machine, a reference to a police raid that found a similar machine at the home of the son of a government minister along with millions of cash and several safes.

The protestors held up a banner bearing the picture of Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen saying that he despises the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. “Pick up your traitorous comrades and your prep schools, and get out of here, go to Israel, the US,” the script at the bottom of the banner said.

Gülen, who has followers in the millions in Turkey and abroad, has been living in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999.

On Dec. 17, İstanbul and Ankara police staged dawn raids and detained over 50 people as part of a major investigation into claims of corruption and bribery. Two sons of Turkish ministers, Halkbank General Director Süleyman Aslan and an Iranian businessman, Reza Zerrab, are among 24 suspects arrested as part of the investigation.

The suspects are accused of rigging state tenders, accepting and facilitating the payment of bribes for major urbanization projects, obtaining construction permits for protected areas in exchange for money, helping foreigners obtain Turkish citizenship with falsified documentation, involvement in export fraud, forging documents and smuggling gold.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 22, 2013

Tags: | | |


Related News

Azeri NGOs harshly criticize Zeynalov’s deportation from Turkey

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, founder of the youth group Positive Changes, said in an interview with Today’s Zaman that Zeynalov’s deportation from Turkey has the potential to damage the country’s international reputation. “For democratic countries, freedom of speech is the main pillar of free media. We cannot speak about stable democracy in states where this pillar is not strong. The governments who are shaking this pillar might cast a serious shadow over all of the positive work they have been doing for a long time,” Hajiyev said.

Turkish prosecutor discredits Gülen movement to counterparts in 121 countries

Chief Public Prosecutor of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals Mehmet Akarca has sent letters to prosecutors in 121 countries around the world explaining the failed July 15 coup in Turkey, joining Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in accusing the Gülen movement of masterminding the putsch.

12 detained for raising funds to help families of jailed Gülen sympathizers

Twelve businessmen have been detained in Kayseri province for raising humanitarian relief for families of people jailed in an ongoing crackdown on the Gülen movement. According to the Milliyet daily, police detained the “suspects” at a meeting during which they were raising funds for victimized families.

Islamic scholar Gülen calls for calm among supporters

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has called on his supporters to remain calm and be patient in the wake of rumors that Istanbul police were planning to start an operation to round up hundreds of people close to his movement. Gülen called for patience and calm among the relatives of those who are being probed or expecting probes against them, advising them to pray and read the Quran.

Human Rights Foundation asks Kosovo PM to free 6 Gulen followers

US-based Human Rights Foundation has asked, in an urgent letter, to free 6 Gulen followers, arrested facing deportation to Turkey at the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s order.

Turkey’s tryst with democracy (2)

The anti-Hizmet moorings of the Erdoğan-led AK Party were present since the formation of the AK Party government in 2002. It is evident from the “secret deal” signed between the military establishment and the Erdoğan government concerning the profiling of Hizmet volunteers that led to the crackdown on Hizmet.

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

Turkish schools and businessmen mobilized for Izmir’s EXPO candidacy

Dialog High School wins top prize

Whisked Away – The Turkish government and its program of kidnappings

AFSV Statement on Temporary US Travel and Immigration Ban

The Gulen Movement teaches providing service and being tolerant

Micro-Finance and Vocational Training for Empowerment of Women

Yet another conspiracy against the Gülen movement?

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News