You can’t achieve democracy through military coup – Islamic scholar


Date posted: October 10, 2016

Chukwu Eze Romeo

A prominent Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen, has said that no country can achieve democracy through military interventions.  He spoke in reaction to another coup attempt in Turkey, saying he was a victim of four military coups in the past.

The Turkish government had alleged that Gülen, who is in self-imposed exile in the United States, was behind a failed military coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July.

“Once again, the Turkish media, under government control or pressure, is circulating horrific rumours, this time about a supposed second coup attempt in the works, supposedly prepared by my sympathizers with the backing of the United States. Such rumours are unfounded and irresponsible,” Gülen said in a statement made available to newsmen.

He said that no matter the unwarranted attacks on his rights and the Hizmet Movement by the government of Turkey, he would never approve their removal through anti-democratic means.

“I strongly condemn the efforts to portray me as the architect of the treacherous July 15 coup attempt despite the fact that I condemned it in the strongest terms while it was in progress. I have repeatedly and clearly denied playing any role in it. If some people who appear to be sympathizers of Hizmet were involved in the treacherous coup attempt, they betray my ideals and should face justice. “I believe that the rumours of a second coup attempt are being circulated in Turkish media deliberately to set a trap against our citizens, especially Hizmet participants,” he said.


Related Video (added by HizmetNews.Com)

Fethullah Gulen’s stance on democracy 1994-2016

 

Source: Daily Trust , October 11, 2016


Related News

Ceremony canceled after Gülen’s relative wins short film contest

The award ceremony of a short film contest organized by the Ministry of Education has been canceled after the contest was won by Seleme Gülen, a relative of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whose ideas inspired the faith-based Hizmet movement.

Fethullah Gülen awarded Manhae Peace Prize

Well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen was awarded the Manhae Peace Prize for his contributions to world peace at a ceremony held in South Korea on Sunday. Among the prominent recipients of the Manhae awards since they were first presented in 1997 are former South African President Nelson Mandela, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and Iranian rights advocate Shirin Ebadi.

First female chairwoman appointed at Kimse Yok Mu

The former chairman of the Kimse Yok Mu foundation, İsmail Cingöz, announced on Friday that Ayşe Özkalay will take the reins of the charity, making her the first female at the helm of the organization.

Gülen sues Ankara chief public prosecutor for defamation after terrorist label

Fethullah Gülen’s lawyer has filed a civil lawsuit claiming compensation against Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Harun Kodalak for calling the Turkish Islamic scholar the leader of a terrorist organization, Gülen’s lawyer Nurullah Albayrak announced in a written statement

What a plot attempts to tell

The film “Birleşen Gönüller” (The Converging Hearts) was released to Turkish audiences on Friday. The film is based on a true story that begins in the Soviet Union during the years of World War II and reaches Central Asia in the 1990s.

Erdoğan’s accusation that Hizmet organized the coup attempt is noxious and absurd

The name of that “terrorist organization” was not spoken, but Ökem was referring to the so-called Fethullahçı Terör Örgütü. To the rest of the world, it’s the Hizmet movement founded by Fethullah Gülen, a former close and important ally of Erdoğan. No one else sees it as violent. Erdoğan’s accusation that it organized the coup attempt is noxious and absurd.

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

Ministry allegedly profiled students of dershanes close to Hizmet

Turkish Olympiad students visit Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek

The Global Imam

AK Party gov’t searches for scapegoat for stalled PKK talks

Fethullah Gulen — His Vision, Our Response

Turkish aid group sending rescue team and disaster relief to Nepal

Smear campaign against Gülen fails after new details emerge on eavesdropping

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News