ABDÜLHAMİT BİLİCİ 18 May 2012 If we were to give a title to an article discussing the problems most heatedly debated in Turkey, I think the best option would be “Woes of transitioning from an empire to a nation-state.” It has been no easy task to transform a multi-faith, multi-lingual and diversity-dominated empire into a […]
DR. DOĞU ERGİL, April 24, 2012 The MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center conducted a nationwide survey during the last week of March and the first week of April. The topics polled included the clash between the Gülen community and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). The number of respondents who believe the Gülen community wants to […]
22 April 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM Ayşe Böhürler, a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has said her remarks on the faith-based Gülen movement were misquoted in an International Herald Tribune article last week, denying statements that were highly critical of the movement and attributed to her by the paper. “It […]
20 April 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s lawyer has dismissed claims in a report by the International Herald Tribune and said his client has no hidden agenda. Orhan Erdemli said in a statement on Friday that claims in the article, which accused Gülen supporters of infiltrating into police and judiciary, are unfounded […]
Etyen Mahçupyan, April 8, 2012 I wrote this column before The Journalists and Writers Foundation, which is closely related to Hizmet movement (aka Gulen Movement), made a statement. But I won’t change it as I believe it’s better unchanged. Obviously one of the hottest topics lately is the issue of the ‘movement’. It is claimed […]
The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chairman is well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, released a statement on its website on Thursday explaining the stance of the Hizmet [service] movement (also know as Gulen movement) inspired by Gülen as a civilian one with no political ambitions. The association’s statement comes in response to […]
TAHA AKYOL The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), which is in line with Fethullah Gülen, has issued an announcement on relations with the ruling party. It is certain that Gülen made the last retouches on the text himself. Gülen defines the movement shortly as “Hizmet” (translated roughly as “service” in English). I asked those who […]
The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chairman is well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, released a statement on its website on Thursday explaining the stance of the Hizmet [service] movement (also know as Gulen movement) inspired by Gülen as a civilian one with no political ambitions. The association’s statement comes in response to […]
Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz, 28 March 2012, Wednesday There has recently been criticism directed against the Hizmet movement that it has been or is becoming a political movement. Its adversaries keep making these accusations, and nothing can be done to convince them. But for anyone sincerely interested in what the movement is actually up to, some […]
Today at his column, Ahmet Altan has talked about what has been spoken when his friends from Gulen Movement visited him. The Movement was on target following the releases of Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık. At the reports of Stratfor that Taraf published, Movement faced serious allegations. After all these, representatives of the Movement visited […]
Abdulhamit Bilici, March 16, 2012 If I were to touch on Turkey’s national agenda by discussing the recent successful trip made by President Abdullah Gül to Tunisia, my sense of disappointment would be great. As I tried to express in my recent column “Tunisia will be a model for Turkey,” the Tunisians, who only one […]
The Journal of Turkish Weekly Thursday, 15 March 2012 The 26th Abant Platform, which brings together high-profile intellectuals, journalists, legal experts and politicians, concluded on Sunday (March 11th) with a recommendation that Turkey’s Constitution recognise the right to education in languages other than Turkish. “Education in one’s mother tongue is an essential human right. The […]
Dr. Ihsan YILMAZ, 14 March 2012 One of the most hotly debated topics of the last Abant Platform was the Directorate of Religious Affairs. There are many sides to the issue. Those who do not care about religion call for the Directorate of Religious Affairs’ total abolishment. Some advocate maintaining the status quo. I understand […]
Emre Uslu, 14 March 2012 Turkey’s foremost thinker, Etyen Mahçupyan, in the Zaman daily, underlined an interesting rapprochement between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the neo-nationalist (Ulusalcı) camp in Turkey. Mahçupyan listed a number of indicators to provide evidence for his argument. Indeed, the indicators he gives are worrisome and show possible […]