I was first introduced to the Fethullah Gülen-inspired schools when I visited them as a journalist while following trips abroad by former President Süleyman Demirel.
Since then I have been wondering why the Turkish state is reluctant to make use of such a great opportunity. By “state” I do not intend merely the government. The judiciary and the military organs of the state have biases against Gülen and his “movement” — a description now acceptable to the followers of this movement. In politics, perceptions may play more vital roles than realities. The secularist perception of Gülen has been heavily influenced by such biases. Here is one example: After his appointment as the new chief of general staff, Gen. İlker Başbuğ launched a new media policy and removed some accreditation restrictions. However, the Zaman daily, the Gülen movement’s flagship media organ, was still not accredited. For the military, this group was trying to show itself as more powerful than it really is.
School Children, Not Tools Of War: A Nigerian’s opinion on Gulen, Hizmet and Erdogan
AS a Nigerian who has experienced Turks and their culture both at home and in Turkey for over a decade of my life, I have come to see and feel Turkey as my second country. My first interaction with the Turkish society was through education in Abuja at one of their many schools nationwide before I went on to spend five years in Istanbul.
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As a part of the publicity efforts for “Eskisehir 2013 Capital of Turkic Culture” project in Crimea, a delegation from Eskisehir province of Turkey visited Simferopol International School in Crimea. Eskisehir Governor Kadir Kocdemir, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Eskisehir Deputy Ulker Can, Republican People’s Party Eskisehir Deputy Kazim Kurt, Turkish Consul General to […]
Turkish School Leader Abducted, and Released, in Mongolia
Mr. Ganbat, the Mongolian general director of the Empathy foundation, which runs the Mongolia-Turkish schools, said the Mongolian police told him that the vehicle had a fake license plate and that three masked people were inside.
Kimse Yok Mu trains flood victim Pakistani women for a job
Kimse Yok Mu Foundation (KYM) continues to heal the wounds after the devastating flood in 2010 in Pakistan. The foundation earlier built the Ikbaliye town home to 296 families in the city of Muzaffargah. Now it’s offering vocational classes to the town’s women. 20 women received their certificates after completing 3 month-long sewing classes.
Pak-Turk schools hold graduates moot
The school administration believes that the action is taken to appease Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who believes that the school promotes and teaches his arch-rival and cleric Fetullah Gulen’s teachings. “We have gone through the school curriculum during our time and have not found them imparting any extremism ideology or anything that goes against the interests of Pakistan,” said one of the graduates.
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