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| Fethullah Gulen |
I only pursued my rights as a citizen by legal means in the face of baseless accusations, slander, and assaults against my individual rights. Even books which were identified as illegal by court decisions and whose authors were sentenced to pay compensation have been reprinted.
Particularly during the period that started with the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed military intervention, many books, manipulated by certain parties as part of a psychological war against me, have been marketed. The allegations in these books were no different from the allegations raised in the courts where I was acquitted. These books were even part of the case dossier and their contents were included in the indictments. The value of the allegations in these books is well known by the public. It is clear that it is impossible in this age of information to prevent any publication from reaching readers. It is also apparent that such attempts would only result in greater interest in the publication one sought to prohibit. Personally, I have made no appeal or complaint about the said book or its author.”
These are the words of Turkish Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen. The book Gülen referred to is “İmamın Ordusu” (“The Imam’s Army”), whose draft manuscript was prepared by journalist Ahmet Şık, who has since been arrested in connection with the Ergenekon investigation, and included a compilation of past allegations that the Gülen movement has seized control of the Turkish state.
Şık shouted “Whoever touches him is doomed” when he was taken into custody; shortly after his arrest, his lawyer Bülent Utku made the following comment: “My client informed us that he was arrested because of a book he had recently drafted that he is planning to name ‘İmamın Ordusu,’ depicting how Fethullah Gülen’s movement is entrenched within the state.”
The party to which Şık’s accusations were directed was now identified as the Gülen movement. On March 3, 2011, in addition to Şık, Ergenekon suspects Professor Yalçın Küçük, journalist Nedim Şener, OdaTV Coordinator Doğan Yurdakul, OdaTV writer İklim Bayraktar, OdaTV writer Müyesser Yıldız, journalist Sait Çakır, OdaTV Ankara representative Mümtaz İdil and Aydın Bıyıklı were taken into custody after their houses were searched. Former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) member Kaşif Kozinoğlu’s house was also searched, but he was taken into custody later because he was abroad. The persons who were detained had allegedly assumed roles in carrying out media activities on behalf of Ergenekon. The İstanbul 12th High Criminal Court decided to confiscate the draft of the book seized during the search in Şık’s house because its publication would “serve the goals of the Ergenekon armed organization and prevent a fair trial.”
‘Şık’s draft manuscript was written to undermine and devalue the Ergenekon investigation’
Police notes, issued on March 16, 2011, stated that a draft manuscript by Şık, titled “The Imam’s Army,” was seized during the search at OdaTV on Feb. 14, 2011. It was also noted that the draft seized at OdaTV was 189 pages long and that a document titled “Ulusal Medya 2010” as well as Microsoft Word documents titled “000KITAP,” “Nedim,” “Hanefi” and “Sabri Uzun” were seized during the same search. The notes go on to say: “A review of the documents revealed that ‘Ulusal Medya 2010’ details the current strategy of the Ergenekon terrorist organization, while the Word document 000KITAP contains a draft manuscript of ‘The Imam’s Army.’ The Word documents ‘Nedim’ and ‘Hanefi’ contain notes showing that a book by Hanefi Avcı, ‘Haliçte Yaşayan Simonlar,’ was written upon instructions by the Ergenekon terrorist organization, and the Word document ‘Sabri Uzun’ includes a note reading: ‘Sabri has reservations about the book matter. Let us try to convince him. The book should be ready before the elections. Nedim will see Ahmet Şık about this matter. Be brave while working on the book. Do not hesitate on making additions to removals from the book. This should be more comprehensive than ‘Simon.’ I congratulate Nedim. He should force Ahmet to work. Hanefi will get out and join you. Extend moral support to Emin and Sabri. Try to convince Sabri to allow himself to be cited as an author. It should be quick. It should be ready before the elections’.”
The search notes also state that the digital data seized during the search carried out at Şık’s house as part of the investigation included three separate Word documents, ‘000KITAPSON’ (299 pages), ‘Ahmet Kitap’ (301 pages) and ‘KİTAPPPPPPPPPPPPP’ (302 pages), and that there was no significant difference between these three versions of the book. The relationship between the draft seized at OdaTV and the drafts found in Şık’s house was explained as follows: “The draft manuscript seized at OdaTV included a section at the end with the headline, ‘Notes,’ suggesting that these were notes on the manuscript, and it seemed that these notes were relevant to the first two pages in the copies of the manuscript seized at Şık’s house. The police logs kept during the seizure of the drafts also said that the draft manuscript found during a raid of the OdaTV offices did include the part titled ‘Notes,’ but this part was included in a different section of this version than in the copy seized at Şık’s home. There were also some sentences left out in the OdaTV version that were present in the version found at Şık’s house.”
The notes further say that in line with the instructions in the Word document “Sabri Uzun,” seized at OdaTV, members of the organization made additions to and removals from the draft forwarded to Şık. The search notes concluded as follows: “The notes seized at OdaTV, the notes in the draft manuscripts and other evidence reveal that the book ‘The Imam’s Army’ was a product made under the instruction and direction of the Ergenekon terrorist organization and that this work was done actively by Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, Soner Yalçın, Sabri Uzun and OdaTV staff as well as other unidentified suspects.” The 49-page review note also stated that the book was a work prepared in accordance with the strategies spelled out in the file “Ulusal Medya,” and that its ultimate goal was to undermine the Ergenekon investigation in the eyes of the public.
The draft seized by prosecutor Zekeriya Öz was uploaded to the Internet as part of a campaign of civil disobedience on March 31, 2011. The uploaders argued that Şık’s book included the assertion that the Gülen movement was in control of the state apparatus. However, Şık’s allegations were nothing new: The book makes references targeting Gülen and the Gülen movement. Some journalists and writers who have been observing the growing interest in Fethullah Gülen since the 1980s have made strong criticisms against the movement of which he is the spiritual leader, with some publishing extremely derogatory books and articles. Was the argument that whoever touches him is doomed? Has anything happened to those who criticized him?
‘I published the harshest pieces against Gülen and nothing happened to me’
One of the most suitable people to satisfactorily answer this question is İsmail Arlı, owner of Togan Publishing since 2003. Arlı owns a publishing house that sent some tapes which he claimed belonged to Gülen to private TV stations during the Feb. 28, 1997 coup. He also published, among a number of anti-Gülen titles, “The True Face of Fethullah Gülen,” which served as the basis for an indictment against Gülen, as well as books by Ergün Poyraz, who is now in prison as an Ergenekon suspect. We asked Arlı: “You are probably the one person to have ‘touched’ Gülen the most. What happened to you?” He has already responded, remarking: “If whoever touches him is screwed, it should have been me who would have gotten screwed first; I should have been in ashes by now because I have published the harshest material against Gülen. I have published the most derogatory books against him. Even the Cumhuriyet Publishing House is inspired by my cover designs. Nothing has happened to me so far.”
Books that ‘touch’ him become best-sellers
Arlı has published many books harshly criticizing Gülen and the Gülen movement and directing serious accusations against them, including Ergun Poyraz’s “Kanla Abdest Alanlar (Those Who Perform their Ablutions with Blood)” (2007), Zübeyir Kandıra’s “Cemaatin Copları (The Batons of the Cemaat)” (2010) [Cemaat is the word used by Gülen’s critics and dissenters to refer to the movement], Serdar Öztürk’s “AKP ve Gülen’i Kurtarma Planı: Made in CIA (The Plan to Save the AKP and Gülen: Made in CIA)” (2011), Ahmet Akgül’s “Küresel Fesatçılık ve Fethullahçılık (Global Evilism and Fethullahism)” (2010) and Eren Erdem’s “Nurjuvazi (Nur-geoisie)” (2011) [from the combination of the word “Nur,” a follower of the religious community that follows Islamic writer Saidi Nursi, and bourgeoisie].
Noting that he has never faced any prosecution or pressure in relation to the marketing of these books, Arlı says: “Kandıra’s book was published by another publisher 13 years ago. I hold the publication rights for two years; we have sold 8,000 copies; and we are still selling it, the fourth edition is in circulation now. We have sold 1,500 copies of Hüseyin Özalp’s book, and 5,000 copies of Serdar Öztürk’s book. Even though it is a new publication, we have sold 8,000 copies of ‘Nur-geoisie.’ It is in its fifth edition. The total number of [anti-Gülen books] we have sold exceeds 30,000.”
Noting that he did not find Şık’s remark “whoever touches him is doomed” sincere, Arlı argues that Şık’s draft included in its first 40 pages many direct quotes from his publication “The Batons of the Cemaat.” After reading a draft of “The Imam’s Army” on the Internet, the author of that book asked Arlı, as his publisher, to file plagiarism charges against Şık.
İsmet Arslan, owner of Asya Şafak Publishing, which published an anti-Gülen book last year titled “Ergenekon ve Fethullah-Yeni Osmanlı Misyonuyla Kürdistan’ın İnşası” (Ergenekon and Fethullah: The Building of Kurdistan with a Neo-Ottoman Mission), says: “We consider some points before publishing an item. Nothing happened to us.”
The ‘curious’ case of Saygı Öztürk
Arlı also noted that Saygı Öztürk was another author extensively quoted in Şık’s draft manuscript. Öztürk, a veteran journalist, “touched” Gülen in his book “Okyanus Ötesindeki Vaiz” (The Preacher on the Other Side of the Ocean) published by Doğan Books in 2010. Öztürk, who also writes a column for the Sözcü daily in which he makes very strong criticisms against the AK Party and the Gülen movement, says that his book has sold 25,000 copies in a year. Öztürk hosts a TV program on the ART television network known for its neo-nationalist orientation, as well as on news station S Haber, a Gülen-affiliated network. Noting that he has never faced any investigation or pressure in relation to his book, Öztürk says: “When I was about to send the draft to the publisher, an old colleague of mine said to me: ‘I have a favor to ask. The conditions are just not right. It would be better if you do not send it to the publisher.’ I told him: ‘You either do journalism, or you don’t. If I have documentation, I do not insult anyone, and I do not take sides, then this book should be no different from any other.’ There has been no problem at all with the publisher.”
Noting that his books are based on evidence and documentation and that he makes sure to speak to the relevant people before publication, Öztürk says he has never been accused of anything except breach of confidentiality. Once his book was released, he received an offer from the Samanyolu News TV station. Öztürk, who “touched” the Gülen movement with this book, explains why he accepted the offer to host a TV program on a channel close to the movement as follows: “At the time my book had just been published, and I got an offer. For me whether it’s with A TV or B TV does not matter. I am hosting a TV show on ART TV right now. I am a frequent guest on a program aired at Kanal D. I am a commentator on a radio program. I am just a journalist. I am doing what journalism ethics requires. I would not think, ‘Well, let me not hurt these people just because I am with STV [the network that owns S Haber]. [Hiring me] was the producer’s decision. I am not insulting anyone; I pay attention to that. I did not make any effort to attract attention and praise. I am in favor of the truth. I am friends with everyone at STV, including the tea server and the cameraman. Just like at other TV stations…just the way I see friendship and love at other channels, I see the same at S Haber. I have no considerations other than journalism. I have never been treated negatively.”
Etyen Mahçupyan: Şık and Nedim Şener’s attitudes support argument that they are part of an operation
“Şener and Şık have both written and are currently writing books based on documents and information that fall outside of regular journalistic sources. The information they are using comes from one of the shadowy and illegal groups within the state. It is therefore legitimate to ask who the actual writer is. You may write the book by yourself, but what you write depends on the sources that influence and manipulate you. Furthermore, the reliability of the information provided to you is another matter of controversy. … The name of Şık’s book is ‘İmanın Ordusu’ (The Imam’s Army). It is very suspicious for someone seeking to write a book about the Gülen movement and give objective analysis on the role of the movement within the police force to choose this title. It is too provocative and aggressive of a title. This choice suggests that the author of the book has an ideological motive rather than writing the book out of purely journalistic reasons. Of course every writer is entitled to call his book whatever he wants and every title has a function, but this particular case just goes to show that the book isn’t just about journalism. When he was arrested, Şık said, ‘Whoever touches him is doomed.’ A number of books, however, have been published against Gülen’s movement so far and none of the authors of these books have been doomed. This suggests that this is not about ‘touching’ Gülen, but about what you do and whose interests you serve and what group you are a part of when you do the touching. Şık’s reaction unfortunately shows that he does not have an objective stance and that he might have violated the limits of journalism.”
Mahçupyan said that journalist Şener’s words “For Hrant Dink, for Justice” as he was being carried away by the police were unfortunate. Mahçupyan stressed that the case of Dink -- a close friend of his -- had become a subject open to abuse and exploitation and that Şener wanted to take advantage of this. Mahçupyan concluded his column with the following sentences: “In conclusion, the argument that Şener and Şık’s supporters put forth is meaningless. The question is whether their recent activities should be considered proper journalism. And, sadly, their attitude supports the view that they have become part of a larger plan.”
Faruk Mercan: We haven’t seen anyone who writes about Fethullah Gülen doomed in the last 25 years
Mercan notes that the evidence held by the prosecutors shows a link between Şık, Şener, OdaTV and other Ergenekon suspects. Mercan goes on to say: “Considering that the various parts of these books were also found on other computers, the question ‘Who wrote the final draft of this book?’ is a fairly legitimate one to ask. Editorial contribution to these books is normal; however, who decided to assign the authors to write these books, why were these parts changed and who drafted the final version of these parts are important questions that need answering. Therefore, the way they wrote these books is not usual. Above all, it is not the content of the books that is being questioned. What is under investigation is the objectivity of these books that the prosecutors say were part of a plot. The goal here is to undermine the Ergenekon case and to intimidate the police officers and judges handling this case. In fact, the actual target is not Gülen. He is used as an argument and a tool here. Even Gülen himself declared that he had no complaints or plans to file a lawsuit with respect to the books.”
‘That book did not befit Ahmet Şık,’ says Alper Görmüş, his former boss at Nokta newsweekly
Court of Appeals unanimously acquitted Gülen of charges of seizing the state in 2008
His indictment included the same allegations voiced by those who today claim that whoever touches Gülen is doomed. The allegations against Gülen in that indictment were as follows: “That he seeks to create a theocratic Islamic dictatorship by imposing Islamic provisions in all systems of the state; that he plans on eradicating the Republic of Turkey, a democratic and social state governed by the rule of law, replacing it with an Islamic state governed by Shariah law; that he would use the youths brainwashed in his schools to achieve this goal; that he is eager to create a support base by relying on the foundations, schools and study centers under his control and on the effective financial power he has in hand using an Islamist ideological approach; that he seeks to ensure that his followers find employment in public posts, including the police department and the Ministry of Education; that he wants to raise youths that hold positive sentiments towards political Islam in Turkey; that he attempts to govern all Muslims in the world by meeting with the pope and that he abuses the secular regime to attain his goals through his movement’s infiltration into state institutions.”
The indictment made no reference whatsoever to any concrete action constituting a crime as spelled out in the Counterterrorism Law. Instead, the charges in the indictment were based on his views in print and visual media as well as his social activities. In other words, his ideas and beliefs constituted the basis for the charges against him.
The Ankara 11th High Criminal Court, in judgment number 2000/124 E-2003/20 K on May 5, 2006, decided to acquit Gülen upon the trials and hearings due to unsubstantiated claims. An appeal was filed with the 9th Chamber of the Court of Appeals, which unanimously endorsed Gülen’s acquittal by the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court on March 5, 2008.
The Office of the Prosecutor at the Court of Appeals objected to this verdict on April 4, 2008, under Article 308 of the Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK), which offers an extraordinary course of law with the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals. The chamber, however, dismissed the objection by the office of the prosecutor on June 24, 2008. In this way, the acquittal was ascertained and finalized.
Çetinkaya: I wrote what I wrote about Gülen. I have nothing else to write about him
He authored the following books on Gülen over the years: “Kuzu Postunda Kurt Türkiye’de Tarikatların ve Cemaatlerin Örgütlü Siyasi Gücü, Fethullah Hoca’nın Önlenemeyen Yükselişi” (1996) (Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Political Power of Organized Religious Orders and Communities, the Unstoppable Rise of Fethullah Hoca); “Fethullah Gülen’in 40 yıllık Serüveni 1” (2004) (The 40-year Venture of Fethullah Gülen-1); “Fethullah Gülen’in 40 yıllık Serüveni 2-Yol Arkadaşı Nurettin Veren Anlatıyor” (2005) (The 40-year Venture of Fethullah Gülen-2: His Best Friend Nurettin Veren Speaks Up); “Fethullahçı Gladyo” (2008) (The Pro-Fethullah Gladio); “Amerikan Mızıkacıları” (2009) (American Musicians).
In legal terms, he was most probably the man who had most frequent legal disputes with Gülen. In these days when the slogan “whoever touches him is screwed” has become popular, Çetinkaya’s visit to the Journalists and Writers Foundation, of which Gülen is the honorary chair, is actually meaningful.
Doğan Akın, who covered this visit on July 10, 2011 on the website of the T24 News Portal, where he works as editor-in-chief, uses the following direct quote from Çetinkaya: “They invited me to the foundation; so I went there. We had breakfast for two hours. Jokes were exchanged. Yes, in the past, they made kids [in the Turkish Olympiads] recite Necip Fazıl rather than Nazım, Cemal Süreyya and Atilla İlhan. The world is changing, so we have to change as well. I am improving myself. I am changing. I wrote what I wrote about Fethullah Gülen. I have nothing else to write about him anymore. The guy has been living abroad since 1998.”
Çetinkaya, who stressed in the same piece that he always based his allegations against Gülen and the Gülen movement on court decisions, further said: “No information was leaked to me from the police. I never received information or intelligence from the police or the military. I never went through the doors of the General Staff. They would never call me anyway. I have been writing these things since 1973, but I never received information from the police. I do not know Hanefi Avcı or others. Some of my colleagues, let me keep their names to myself, file reports based on information coming from the police.”
Noting that Gülen has filed a number of lawsuits against him, the Cumhuriyet columnist says: “I won some of these and he won some. In the cases lost, I was ordered to pay fines and compensation. I will write again if there is anything new. I would not write the old stuff as that would be me repeating myself.”
Journalist Doğan Akın, who reiterated remarks made by Journalists and Writers’ Foundation Chairman Mustafa Yeşil, quoting from Gülen, saying: “Hikmet Çetinkaya has always bravely written what he believed. I never damned or cursed him.” He further noted: “We have to think about the Gülen movement and Çetinkaya’s venture. That venture, no matter what we think, says we have to try to understand and at least listen to each other. Trying to agree to disagree will be even better than chanting slogans because democracy does not promise anything more valuable than tolerance of diversity. And everything that is solid is evaporating.”
Because it was out of business, we could not ask Günizi Yayıncılık, which published Çetinkaya’s books, whether they faced repercussions when they “touched” him.
Published on Sunday's Zaman, 24 July 2011, Sunday
