Turkish Scholar Fethullah Gulen Speaks about PKK


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.

Tags: | | |


Related News

Fethullah Gülen’s Message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Like all forms of violence, violence against women is the expression of an unhealthy mindset and psychology. Therefore, we must not approach the matter solely from a punitive perspective, but get to the root causes and come up with long-lasting solutions.

Erdoğan’s hate speech moves to US

The graffiti echoes Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hate speech against the Hizmet movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, with which the cultural center is affiliated.

Gülen rejects labeling of Hizmet as ‘gang,’ calls it ‘traitorous’

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has rejected the labeling of the Hizmet movement as a “gang,” saying those who uttered this word committed “traitorous” behavior. The term gang, “örgüt” in Turkish, has become a famous euphemism in Turkey to denote the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and has a negative connotation.

Gülen’s letter to Gül

Koru told Gülen to express his feelings in a letter. The scholar wrote this letter on Dec. 22. Koru took the letter to its addressee, the president. He met with the prime minister the same day in Ankara and told him about his impressions from his contact with Gülen. I mean to say, there is not “bargaining” or “mediation.” There is only a “goodwill initiative” here.

New York Times : Hundreds of Police Officers Reassigned in Turkey

Mr. Gulen’s followers vehemently deny claims that his adherents control state institutions. They argue that if his sympathizers are well represented within the police and judiciary, it is because they are well educated and highly qualified for their jobs.

Talking with the “Religious Terrorist” that Turkey Wants Trump to Extradite

Regardless of the threat Gulen poses as the purported leader of an international apparatus, any movement is a threat in that it is not easily controlled. If Gulen is right, and Erdogan fears anything that he cannot control, then the Gulen movement with its critical stance towards what it regards as abuses of the public trust, must seem threatening indeed.

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

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on the Anniversary of the Coup Attempt in Turkey

Halki, pope, patriarch and Gülen

Afghan Turkish Schools have brought 75 medals to Afghanistan

Turkish aid organizations deliver clean water to 20 million

TURKEY: Fethullah Gulen profile

No country is safe for Gülen sympathizers, Erdoğan says

Kimse Yok Mu helps flood victims in Tajikistan

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News