Has all else failed for the MHP?

Fulya Vatansever

The plot surrounding the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) video scandal thickened when MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli accused those “beyond the [Atlantic] ocean” of having a role in the emergence of the scandal where illicit recordings showing senior MHP party members in intimate and compromising circumstances were leaked on the Internet.

With “beyond the ocean” being considered code in Turkish political literature referring to Fethullah Gülen and considering the fact that Bahçeli had also targeted the Gülen community prior to the disclosure of these videos, many observers read these statements as part of the MHP leader’s broader sustained attack on the community and are questioning the ultimate purpose of this enterprise.

Erdoğan: Bahceli's Fethullah Gülen remarks tantamount to betrayal

Mustafa Ünal

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli's controversial statements about Islamic scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gülen, describing his remarks as being “tantamount to betrayal [of the MHP's roots].”

“To me, the MHP's attack on Gülen is tantamount to betrayal. It is a very ugly thing. Does Gülen not have any business other than dealing with Bahçeli? First, Gülen's position does not allow such a thing. The things he occupies himself with do not allow such a thing. What he did is very ugly and shameful. I condemn [Bahçeli's remarks] to the extent of betrayal,” Erdoğan said.

Bahçeli continues to draw criticism for remarks on Gülen

Hüseyin Keleş

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli continues to draw criticism for his offensive statements about Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen whom he pointed to as a mastermind behind scandalous videos that involve senior MHP members.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Erdoğan Toprak said it was very wrong for Bahçeli to associate Gülen with the video scandals involving several MHP members. “It is very wrong to involve individuals who have nothing to do with these incidents, I mean the person who is referred as ‘beyond the [Atlantic] ocean’ in this incident. A politician needs to be reasonable. Why are you involving someone else in your trouble? Gülen is a figure who has made contributions to the education of this country in the international arena. So, I find his being pulled into such an issue is very wrong,” Toprak told Today’s Zaman.

What audacity, Mr. Bahçeli

Bülent Keneş

Clearly the extremely tense election atmosphere has taken a toll on Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who is the ringleader of a staff that has waged a war on the values of nationalist conservative constituents, who rely on ülkücülük [idealism], the ideology that defines MHP both psychological and politically.

Otherwise, he would not be talking about or targeting a volunteer-based civil society movement that derives its strength and dynamics from the values of the public and that is not a party to politics. Bahçeli is ignoring the sensitivities of his main constituents and by waging a war on the sacred values of his real constituent base he faces the risk of not being able to pass the election threshold. As a result Bahçeli is suffering from psychosis and is confused about where to attack.

Fears of poll failure, political ineptitude drive MHP’s Bahçeli to attack Fethullah Gülen

Fatma Dişli Zıbak

Fears about the Nationalist's Movement Party's (MHP) failure to pass the election threshold in the June 12 general elections and party leader Devlet Bahçeli's political ineptitude to correctly read the developments in the country prompt him to aggressively attack the Gülen community and point to it as the mastermind of the scandals shaking the MHP, observers have said.

In the wake of the video clips that have surfaced involving four senior members of the MHP having affairs with women and insulting right-wing voters, Bahçeli accused those “beyond the [Atlantic] ocean” of having a role in the emergence of the video clip scandals.

Why are they attacking Fethullah Gulen?

Gültekin Avcı

Why would anyone attack a man who made Turkish a world language and one of solidarity, who has proven himself on the world stage and who has been the reason why children in places whose names we have not even heard of are singing the folk songs of this land?

Health minister stands behind Fethullah Gülen against MHP leader's accusations

Today's Zaman

Health Minister Recep Akdağ on Thursday strongly criticized Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who controversially pointed to well-respected Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen as the mastermind of scandals currently shaking the MHP, saying Turkey owes a debt of gratitude to Gülen for his service to the country.

In the wake of video clips that have surfaced involving four senior members of the MHP having affairs with women and insulting right-wing voters, Bahçeli accused those “beyond the [Atlantic] ocean” of having a role in the emergence of the video clip scandals.

CHP council member backs Fethullah Gülen against smear campaigns

Hüseyin Keleş / Ali Aslan Kılıç

Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Party Council (PM) member and theologian Muhammed Çakmak said those aiming to defame people without providing any concrete evidence will go down in history as the “slanderers of the century,” in remarks that came as clear support for Islamic scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gülen, who is a target of defamation efforts.

In the wake of the video clips that have surfaced involving four senior members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) having affairs with women and insulting right-wing voters, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli accused those “beyond the [Atlantic] ocean” of having a role in the emergence of the video clip scandals.

Why is the MHP escalating its war on Fethullah Gülen?

Emre Uslu

Following the leak of videotapes of senior-level Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) officials, party leader Devlet Bahçeli told his constituents that tape-based politics was being coordinated by someone from “beyond the ocean.”

Since “beyond the ocean” is known in Turkish political literature to be a reference to Fethullah Gülen, Gülen responded to the MHP. Bahçeli had targeted the Gülen community before the disclosure of the videotapes as well. After the arrest of some journalists, Bahçeli stated that “the community should suspend its activities” in an appeal to Gülen. Even though Bahçeli was forced to backpedal upon public reactions it shows that the MHP leader had been targeting the Gülen community even before the videotapes emerged.

EastWest Institute honors Fethullah Gülen with 2011 EWI Peace Building Award

Sezai Kalaycı

The EastWest Institute (EWI) honored well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen with its 2011 EWI Peace Building Award at an awards dinner held in New York on Tuesday for his contribution to world peace.

Fethullah Gülen’s ordeal

Bülent Korucu

Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gülen has never entertained any idea other than serving his beloved nation and humanity. So though many claims have been voiced to the contrary, none could be substantiated.

Not only did the slander prove false, but it was also unable to have any noticeable effect on his reputation.

Fethullah Gulen: A smear campaign under way against the people who promote Turkish culture worldwide

Today's Zaman

Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen has said a smear campaign – with accompanying propaganda -- is under way against people who exert the utmost efforts to introduce Turkish culture to the rest of the world, calling for common sense in reaction to the makers of the campaign and the propaganda.

“We can resort to self defense in the face of ruthless smear campaigns, accusations and attacks or make explanations or refutations against them. If there are people who insist on wrongdoing, then we can sue them for damages. These are our legal rights. But we will never act in a violent manner as they do. We will not show them our fists as they do to us. Even if they threaten to slap us, we will not respond to them with slaps,” Gülen said on Monday in his latest speech broadcast on website Herkul.org.

Time to counter global lies

Ekrem Dumanlı

At one time in this country, the media would write lies, distort stories and mislead the public and no one would be able to say anything against them. Coups were staged, memorandums were released, groups of people were discredited and individuals were defamed with those lies. For several decades, the public was misguided because there wasn't an alternative news source.

It's impossible for lies to go on forever. And they didn't. Fortunately, Turkey was able to end the practice of false journalism. A casually released piece of information no longer becomes the subject of serious analysis 10 minutes later. When lies are told, they become exposed instantly. It is for this reason that fictional stories about reactionaryism are no longer written. Those who fabricate stories know very well that other media organizations will quickly access the people, places and witnesses mentioned in the false story and expose the true side of the story.

Jill Carroll Interviewed on Ideas of Fethullah Gulen

Dr. B. Jill Carroll is the Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance at Rice University, Texas. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor in Religious Studies at Rice University. Her research interests are issues in comparative religion, religion and world politics, and natural theology. She co-hosts with Kym King a regular radio program called "Peaceful Coexistence" on Pacifica 90.1FM KPFT in Houston.

Dr. Carroll earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Rice University in 1994 with a specialty in philosophy of religion. She is the author of numerous articles and four books. Her recent book, A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse (*) was a Publishers Weekly bestseller in religion, having been in a “Top 10” category on Amazon in May 2007. She is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, and has been interviewed by The New York Times, PBS, MSNBC, and Good Morning America.

Below, you may watch an interview conducted by Ebru TV's Footnote Talk Show regarding Dr. Carroll's book, ideas of Fethullah Gulen, and Gulen Movement: