Turkish minister’s leaked email shows trustees to Gulen affliated organizations not appointed by courts


Date posted: September 27, 2016

An email written by Ahmet Özal, son of the late President Turgut Özal, to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak, asking for an appointment as a trustee to a university bearing his father’s name, has revealed that trustee appointments are not made by courts, contrary to what is believed.

As part of an all-out war launched by the government against the faith-based Gülen movement, the government has been appointing trustees to the management of universities, companies and organizations that are thought to be linked to the movement.

Ahmet Özal’s letter is one of the thousands of emails leaked from the email account of Albayrak by RedHack, a Turkish Marxist-Leninist-Maoist computer hacker group. The group threatened to disclose 20 GB of secret information if the Turkish government failed to release Alp Altınörs, deputy co-chairperson of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and prize-winning novelist and journalist Aslı Erdoğan by Monday, and has made good on its threat.

In the email Ahmet Özal says: “Definitely, trustees will be appointed to Turgut Özal University. … I think the esteemed president will also be happy if I cleanse Turgut Özal University [of Gülen sympathizers] and end the association between that community and my father’s name. I would be very pleased if you could convey this issue to the president [Erdogan] and help me get his support and approval.”

Turgut Özal University, established by Gülen followers, is among the hundreds of educational institutions closed down by government decree in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15.

The government put the blame for the failed coup on the Gülen movement despite lack of any evidence to that effect.

Source: Turkish Minute , September 27, 2016


Related News

Police raid business association in Malatya in new government-backed operation

Police teams entered and searched the premises of the Malatya Active Businessmen’s Association (MAKİAD) on Thursday in a new wave of government-led operations targeting institutions deemed to have an affiliation with the Gülen movement — a faith-based initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Turkey’s AKP planning to blame Hizmet movement for Deep State’s crimes

Online government whistleblower Fuat Avni has claimed that the government is concocting a plan to blame the clandestine assassinations of the ‘deep state’ and the violent domestic acts planned by the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) on the Hizmet movement.

‘If you are against us, you are the other’

Turkey has been witnessing a rigorous debate for the last couple of weeks over the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) vow to finish off the test prep schools, which are a source of both money and influence for its old ally, the Hizmet Movement led by the self-exiled leader, Fethullah Gülen. Like many controversies in Turkey, the issue of closing the courses and integrating them into Turkey’s poorly-established and -organized education system was not only about the prep schools, which was only the tip of the iceberg.

Friends of Hrant slam gov’t attempt to associate Dink murder with Gülen movement

A group called Friends of Hrant Dink, including lawmakers and activists, has harshly criticized the government’s recent attempt to associate the Dink’s murder with the Gülen movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, calling on authorities to expose the real criminals behind the murder.

Gulen`s Interview with the German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung

Gulen`s Interview with the German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Interview with German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung ‘Charge of the Preacher’, dated 13th December 2014

AK Party’s power poisoning

The AK Party is still committed to making its identity dominant and transforming the state; its attempt to eliminate the Hizmet movement from the bureaucracy and the judiciary without relying on any legal evidence is a good sign of this.

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

Parallel vs. Persian structure within the Turkish state

Turkish foundation drills 1,000 boreholes for Nigerian communities

To embrace the spirit of acceptance and tolerance

Turkish aid group sending rescue team and disaster relief to Nepal

Teacher tortured to death by Turkish police found innocent, reinstated to job

Rumi Forum bestows Peace and Dialogue awards 2013

Once shut down by Taliban, now Afghan gov’t plans to hand over successful Turkish Schools to Turkish Gov’t

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News