News
Gülen urges Hizmet members to defend prep schools in civilized way
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has urged followers of the Hizmet movement to insist on the “right and logical” and defend prep schools, which the Turkish government has said it will shut down despite tremendous public outrage. In a speech broadcast by herkul.org, a website that usually publishes his speeches, Gülen said not insisting on […]
Turkish daily exposes secret plot against Gülen endorsed by gov’t
A secret national security document recently discovered by a Turkish daily has revealed that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government signed up to a planned crackdown on the Hizmet or Gülen movement. The Taraf daily published a document on Wednesday prepared by the National Security Council (MGK) on Aug. 25, 2004, persuading […]
Islamic scholar Gülen calls for ‘reasonability’ in prep school row
Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has called on the government to act “reasonably” in its plan to close test prep schools, adding that they were the ones receiving a “slap,” in a veiled reference to a statement from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. You have to defend it without making concessions in the language you use,” Gülen said in an apparent message to members of the “Hizmet” [Service] movement.
Turkish Twitter war over education
Plans to abolish “prep schools” in Turkey have sparked a huge feud between two of the country’s most powerful forces on the micro-blogging website Twitter. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK party have proposed eliminating the schools, which provide private tuition classes to help high school children prepare for university entrance exams. […]
Turkey’s Plans to Abolish Private Tutoring Centers Arrests Free Enterprise and Democracy
NEW YORK The Alliance for Shared Values considers Turkish government’s proposal to abolish fee-based private preparatory courses for admission exams and free private tutoring centers as government overreach and categorically opposes it. This unprecedented action: 1. Contradicts core principles of free enterprise and democracy: All major stakeholders from across the political spectrum have expressed opposition […]
‘African wave’ makes splash at İstanbul summit
CUMALİ ÖNAL, İSTANBUL The second day of a global trade and investment summit in İstanbul saw increased interest from African companies in Turkish markets, with some major deals in the works. Organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), the World Trade Summit opened its doors to visitors from around the world on […]
Foreign journalists baffled by gov’t decision to shut down prep schools
SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME, İSTANBUL Representatives of foreign media outlets in İstanbul had a difficult time on Tuesday understanding the rationale behind the government’s decision to close private prep schools across Turkey. The Journalists’ and Writers Foundation’s (GYV) Medialog Platform’s 26th meeting of the “Covering Turkey” seminar series held in İstanbul on Tuesday addressed a highly debated […]
Turkish government defiant as battle over prep schools rises
Both the government and the Gülen movement have raised the stakes in the debate over a plan to regulate private prep schools, or dershanes. The tension recently peaked, with Erdoğan describing the group’s objection to his government’s plans as a “smear campaign.” Ekrem Dumanlı, editor-in-chief of daily Zaman, which is known for its close ties with the Gülen movement, wrote an open letter to Erdoğan and urged him to review his decision.
AK Party deputy Hakan Şükür against closure of prep schools
Former national team captain and current Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İstanbul deputy Hakan Şükür, referring to the government’s plan to shut down prep schools, has said it was wrong to vote “yes” on their closure before a process is carried out which eliminates the need for the schools.
Fethullah Gülen urges followers to stick to path despite attacks
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen called on his followers on Monday to “just keep walking and not stop” in the face of controversial government plans to abolish privately-funded educational institutions known as dershanes, which assist medium and high school students to prepare for national college and university admission examinations.
Sierra Foundation’s Dialog and Friendship Dinner Brings Together Many in Reno
This year’s Dialog and Friendship Dinner by Sierra Foundation repeated its tradition of bringing together many around a dinner table in Northern Nevada. The dinner has become a platform for bringing together diverse set of guests around the table and starting dialog and friendship among different cultures, faiths and communities.
TUSKON summit highlights Turkish ‘FTA initiative’
Turkey is preparing to kick start negotiations to ink free trade agreements (FTAs) with a dozen countries, including Japan and Canada, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan told a global trade and investment summit held in İstanbul. The Turkey-World Trade Bridge summit, a seven-year-old event on its way to becoming an internationally recognized summit, opened its doors […]
Bittersweet joy for teachers amid prep schools conflict in Turkey
Zaman columnist Ali Ünal expresses how prep schools by the Hizmet movement were established under difficult circumstances under the leadership of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Preps schools prevent students from falling into bad habits by giving them both life and schools lesson at the same time at reasonable prices, writes Ünal.
The 26th meeting of “Covering Turkey:” the past, present and future of prep schools
Medialog platform, which is part of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, has just announced that the 26th meeting of covering Turkey will be held on November 26, 2013 to discuss the past, present and future of prep schools. The meeting will address this highly debated issue in Turkish socio-political context.
