Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen sent a message of sympathy to the Şen family on Monday night. Gülen stated: “It is with grief that I learnt that Alp Ali Şen, the grandson of esteemed businessman Ali Şen — who worked for many years as the chairman of one of Turkey’s most distinguished teams, Fenerbahçe Sports Club — has died in a traffic accident. I wish infinite mercy and forgiveness from God for him and offer my condolences to his family and relatives, and to Ali Şen in particular.”
Earlier this year, claims emerged in the media that police officials in the Diyarbakır Police Department who are members of the Hizmet movement carried out a number of illegal wiretaps since 2008. The prosecutor, unconvinced by the police department’s response, began to examine the circumstances surrounding the whereabouts of the recordings. He questioned several police officers from the department and found that the recordings had been erased on the order of Police Chief Halis Böğürcü, who was appointed head of the Diyarbakır Police Department in early January.
Mining disaster victims, who lost their lives in Turkey’s deadliest mine explosion which took place in southwestern Turkish city of Manisa’s Soma district, commemorated in Senegal. Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the Yavuz Selim Eğitim Kurumları (Yavuz Selim Colleges), operating in the fields of education in Western African country of Senegal, also one of the prestigious tuition foundations in the country.
Interior Minister Efkan Ala was questioned about the government’s actions against “the parallel state” and the “Cemaat,” referring to the followers of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who has been in voluntary exile in the United States for over a decade.
Today’s Zaman also calls on Turkish officials to do their utmost to regulate privately owned and operated mines to ensure the safety of all workers and miners. The tragic incident in the Soma mine once again reveals the need for a stronger inspection of mines including the safety conditions of workers in line with international standards.
Leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his threatening remarks against the Hizmet movement, which the prime minister claims, without providing any evidence, is involved in a plot against the government.
Erdoğan’s government is continuing to harass his opponents, especially people and companies affiliated with the Hizmet movement, inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, for their critical stance against the corruption that has implicated senior government officials.