
A report released by the prestigious London-based think tank Chatham House has praised the efforts of the faith-based Gülen movement in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), saying that it has been a major driving force of Turkey’s engagement in the region; however, it has warned that the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) ongoing battle against the movement may hamper further Turkish presence there.

The İstanbul Governor’s Office has not yet granted permission to the Kimse Yok Mu charity, which aimed to raise TL 7,275,000 in aid for the families of security personnel who died during the fight against terror, despite having sent a proposal to the governor’s office over a month ago, Kimse Yok Mu President İsmail Cingöz said on Tuesday.

Based on the government’s much criticized “reasonable suspicion” law, a large number of businessmen in Uşak province were detained last week as part of an investigation into the so-called “parallel structure,” although most of them were released late on Friday night due to a lack of evidence to support a possible prosecution.

The Eskişehir Governor’s Office has stated that an annulled law was mistakenly used in the inspection warrants for Samanyolu Primary School and its high school as well as for a FEM prep school in the province, showing how carelessly the government-orchestrated operations are being carried out against the faith-based Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement.

Respected Brazilian senator and Professor Cristovam Buarque, well known for his dedication to education, told Sunday’s Zaman during a visit to İstanbul that he has been impressed by the investments of Turkish businessmen who are inspired by the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, in education even without an expectation of profit.

With Rumi’s words, a roundtable discussion began at the Marriott hotel on Wednesday. The theme of the discussion was ‘Respect Differences and Diversity to Foster Peace and Harmony’ and was organised by the Rumi Forum, a Turkey-based organisation, which aims to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to exchange ideas and opinions and to provide a common platform for education and information exchange.

Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anyone There?) has been invited to attend the Global Consultation, a meeting being held at the International Conference Centre (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland between Oct. 14-16 to negotiate proposals concerning humanitarian aid that will serve as a basis for the World Humanitarian Summit scheduled for May 2016.

The İstanbul 8th Penal Court of Peace ruled on Wednesday to release Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş pending trial after deliberating on a petition by the lawyers of Keneş, who was arrested on Saturday and detained at Silivri Prison.

The Alliance for Shared Values deplores the bombing attacks perpetrated against peaceful protesters today in Ankara. We are deeply saddened by the increasing number of losses and injuries and offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. It is now more important than ever that we do not fall prey to the pernicious intentions behind these attacks.

New York-based press advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Turkish authorities to immediately release Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş, condemning the arrest as a “relentless crackdown” on the press.