News
Self-exiled Islamic scholar Gülen rejects Khomeini analogy for potential return to Turkey
I am not Iranian, how can I be like Khomeini? Nor have I ever had the pretensions that Khomeini had. I’m the child of my own country. If one day I return to Turkey, I will be the same as I’ve always been,” the U.S.-based Gülen said in a video-recorded message on March 5.
Top union: Closing prep schools to leave 60,000 jobless
Turkey’s largest business confederation, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), has said a government plan to shut down private exam preparatory schools (dershanes) will leave an estimated 60,000 teachers at these institutions jobless while causing financial losses to investors.
Head of Azerbaijan’s Çağ Education Company denies authenticity of letter to Gülen
Enver Özeren, head of the executive board of Azerbaijan’s Çağ Education Company, has denied the authenticity of a letter he had supposedly written to Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen about the Hizmet movement in Azerbaijan, saying that the letter is nothing more than an attempt to pull Azerbaijan into the domestic turmoil.
Filipino ambassador hails Turkish schools
In her remarks following the meeting, Sanchez hailed the schools for their achievements. “I attended the Turkish Language Olympics’ the Philippines finals on Feb. 26. I witnessed your sincerity and efforts there too. You are teaching not only academics but friendship, peace and solidarity as well,” she said
TUSKON says 2 businessmen threatened members with ‘blacklisting’
Two Turkish businessmen from the Central Anatolian city of Konya have threatened a business confederation by telling it to “cut ties” with Turkey’s largest volunteer-based grassroots movement, the Hizmet movement, or be placed on a government blacklist of entrepreneurs affiliated with the movement, the head of the business confederation has said.
Unimpressed by Turkish ‘parallel structure’ defense, MEPs approve critical report
A EP committee has approved a report on Turkey that criticizes the government’s handling of a corruption investigation, despite a last-minute letter from the Turkish government claiming that a set of controversial measures taken in the wake of the probe were designed to fight a “parallel structure” within the state.
Liberia Turkish Relations Gets Boost with Dialogue Center
Minister Julia Duncan Cassell said it is through peace, the people of Turkey decided to open up a relationship with the people of Liberia and through that relationship they have opened schools in the country and are carrying on construction of more schools.
TUSKON challenges Erdoğan to enter business, defies threats
In the strongest civil society reaction yet to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s month-long offensive tone and threats against Turkey’s largest Islamic group, the Hizmet movement, a leading business confederation affiliated with Hizmet on Saturday called on Erdoğan to quit politics and join the business world to make money.
Turkish authorities issue warning to Samanyolu TV for ‘biased’ broadcasts
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has issued a warning over news program “Derin Bakış” (Deep Glance), which is broadcast on Samanyolu News TV, on the grounds that the program is “biased,” only a week after it penalized Bugün TV for the same reason.
Ministry allegedly profiled students of dershanes close to Hizmet
The petitions filed with the Ministry of Education and provincial educational branches in May 2012 by parents have revealed that the Education Ministry profiled students of dershanes — private institutes that offer examination prep classes — and schools close to the Hizmet movement.
In controversial move Parliament votes to shut down prep schools
The removal of prep schools, however, remains an unsettled dispute, with opponents to the bill saying that without eliminating standardized testing for university entrance, the move will only serve to hamper the poorer high school students’ plans to attend universities, as socioeconomic disparity shows itself in exam results.
