Turkish Scholar Fethullah Gulen Speaks about PKK [terrorist organization]

Turkish and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen
Turkish and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen


Date posted: January 29, 2014

Mustafa Tabanli

Turkish scholar Fethullah Gulen broke a self-imposed 16-year broadcast silence and spoke to BBC about his home country Turkiye.

One of the key issues facing the country is the Kurdish issue, Hizmet movements support for the peace process.

Fethullah Gulen, Turkish scholar: “We were never completely aligned with any political party. But on the Kurdish issue, we were supporting the peace process before the government.”

The Hizmet or service movement, through civil service initiatives, has been active in the region. It has focused on education, healthcare and religious affairs.

But establishing security in this region has been an uphill climb..

Abdullah Ocalan is a divisive figure in Turkiye. He is either considered as the leader of the Kurdish movement or a terrorist. Right now, he is in prison, and the government is fragmented on whether to engage with him or osctracize his cause. Gulen speaks of his understanding of the issue

Fethullah Gulen, Turkish scholar: “I never said anything openly but they once called him terrorist.”

Ocalan and PKK have resented the educational services and interfaith intercultural dialogue provided by the Hizmet movement. They accused Fethullah Gulen of being part of assimilation project for the Kurds.

Fethullah Gulen: “Ocalan was unhappy with our activities”

Gulen says the upcoming elections can be used to portray the Hizmet movement as opposing the peace process, while the government supports it.

Fethullah Gulen: “The current government– to get Kurdish votes– now blames the Hizmet movement as an obstacle to the peace process.”

Prime Minister Erdogan’s government’s decision to have contact, organize talks and even negotiations with Ocalan or the PKK has been fiercely criticized by opposing parties.

Gulen offers an alternative civil solution to the region without opposing nor criticizing the government.

In an already destabilized region, the peace process has the potential to finally bring about true change. But the road to security and prosperity is a long and winding one.

Source: Ebru News , January 28, 2014


Related News

Schools Founded by Volunteers to Light the Way for the German Educational System

German journalist and author, Dr. Jochen Thies, stated that it saddens him to see that the public is not aware of the self-sacrifice, perseverance and quality that he has observed in the schools in Germany that have been founded by Hizmet volunteers. Noting that in five years these schools will be serving as guiding beacons […]

Sacrificing a legend for a shoebox*

Just to prevent the graft probe…They [AK Party] declined the honor of ending the military tutelage system and also declared the procedures used to achieve this triumph to be “unlawful.” Since they sacrificed the most important victory of their eleven-year rule, we can easily say the following: My friends, this must be one hell of a shoebox!

Gov’t steps up campaign against Hizmet via terrorism accusations

The government has intensified its campaign against the Hizmet movement, a civil society initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s teachings promoting interfaith dialogue, peace and tolerance, by putting Gülen on a list of wanted terrorists despite the move lacking any legal basis.

PKK’s venomous mouthpiece targets US, Gülen

ABDULLAH BOZKURT The terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) leader Murat Karayılan (whose last name literally means Blacksnake) claimed that it was, in fact, the US that killed 34 Kurdish smugglers on Dec. 28, 2011, on their way from Iraq to the Turkish border. In a specially arranged interview with four Turkish dailies on the sidelines […]

Who staged a coup against whom on Dec. 17?

When its involvement in corruption and bribery became public, and that this seemed like the tip of an iceberg, the government thought that it must cover up the subsequent investigation, fearing that yet more investigations would be started — and so crushed the police force and the judiciary like a steamroller.

Hizmet contribution to global peace discussed in Addis Ababa

Participants at a forum organized by the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have discussed the contribution of the Hizmet movement, inspired by well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, to global peace.The event, titled “Africa Dialogue Forum,” was attended by many high-ranking representatives from more than 40 countries. Gülen sent a message to the event […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

‘A very good representative of the best in Islam, Hizmet contributes to the non-Muslim world’s understanding of Islam’

Yamanlar Sweeps Gold Medals in the U.S.

Anti-Zaman Campaign to Continue Amid Global Crackdown

Why is the government freeing bloody murderers?

Kimse Yok Mu, the prominent outlet for international aid

Ethiopian President receives Ethio-Turkish schools delegation

Expert’s opinion: Turkey’s Demanding Extradition Of Fethullah Gülen Is Frivolous Grandstanding

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News