April 26, 2012

Fethullah Gülen’s lawyer's response to the claims in a recent International Herald Tribune article

In article with the heading “Shadow force grows in Turkey” by Dan Bilefsky and Sebnem Arsu appeared in the International Herald Tribune on April 18, 2012. It has become necessary to issue this statement to the press due to the reappearance of the same false claims against Mr. Fethullah Gülen—claims which have originated from Turkey and which have indeed been repeatedly published in the Turkish media.

We wish to express the following issues before answering the claims:

Fethullah Gulen
Fethullah Gulen
During his entire life, Mr. Gülen has engaged in scholarly and intellectual activities that have all been taking place before the public eye in all aspects and in accordance with the constitutional rights he has as a citizen, always keeping on the right side of the law. On the basis of all these acts and activities are the high human values such as serving humanity, human rights, rule of law, and democracy.

In his life of more than seventy years, my client has always voiced his thoughts and beliefs within the frame of the principles based on “respecting different thoughts and beliefs,” “love and tolerance,” “a culture of consensus,” “and ideal to make others live instead of living for one’s own sake.” Some marginal circles, who are irritated by the great interest of all sections of the society, have begun to generate imaginary scenarios to besmirch my client’s reputation. Instead of revealing their own alternative ideas vis-à-vis these thoughts and opinions, they have adopted hostile attitudes. They set about campaigns of lynching through the media in order to destroy this great interest, love, and high respect for Mr. Gülen held by the public opinion. They have tried to convict him in the sight of public opinion by publishing many articles and books against my client. Nevertheless, Mr. Gülen was brought to court because of these publications but after the legal procedures, all of these allegations were proven baseless. The unanimous verdict for acquittal issued about my client passed through all legal procedures and became decisive. However, despite the conclusive ruling, the slanders targeting my client are still continuing, and have even been published in foreign media organs.

We are deeply worried to see the reflection of the same attitude in the article published in the International Herald Tribune. As a matter of fact, the claims against my client are all unfounded. Essentially, the allegations’ being baseless is in a way self-confessed with the statement in the final section of the article: “it is almost impossible to prove that Gülenists control the Turkish security forces.” However, the following comment, “we have not seen anyone refuting that,” is far from reality. At the trial carried out against my client, which was executed within the jurisdiction of the security offices of 81 different cities and which lasted for many years, the court decisively decreed that the allegations were completely baseless. Given that, repeating the same allegations time and again for no acceptable reason and putting my client under suspicion is a blatant example of defiance of the law. This situation is clear enough evidence of the deliberate and bad intentions behind the allegations.

The thoughts and activities of Mr. Gülen has no political motive whatsoever as claimed. Therefore, it is out of question for my client to support a certain political party, acting as a political agent, or trying to be a political power, and to intimidate people with opposing views or members of opposition. Mr. Gülen has no organizational power as mentioned. His entire power stems from his siding with knowledge, morality, virtue, and honesty.

My client is not the “administrator of an Islamic movement.” As a thinker, he only states his thoughts and opinions about the essential problems of humanity. For Mr. Gülen has always lived with the love, zeal, and enthusiasm of being beneficial to people, sharing their troubles, and finding solutions to their problems.

My client has no secret agendas whatsoever. On the contrary, for more than fifty years, he has been openly observed by the public opinion with this statements and behaviors.

The allegations included in the quotes mentioned in the article, such as “if you touch, you get burned” and “if you criticize you will either be alleged of being a drug dealer or a terrorist,” are completely false. Before Ahmet Şık, tens of books and hundreds of articles were published against my client. Not even one of these people was put to prison. The cases carried out in Turkey have no real relation with my client, and all these issues are totally under the authority of law. By using these cases as precedent, my client’s name is juxtaposed with expressions such as “witch hunt,” and “revenge,” and such attribution is nothing but ruthlessness.

We would like to mention a paragraph stating Mr. Gülen’s sincere thoughts using his own words:
In this world, there is no place for clumsiness, rudeness, greed, vain fancy of eternity, controversy, struggle, betrayal, treason, lies, cruelty, oppression, corruption, and malpractice.

In this world, there is chivalry, elegance; resolution for revival, altruism, tenderness, dialogue, respect for rights, trustworthiness, loyalty, the spirit of truthfulness, the thought of justice and uprightness.

The people of this world have deleted the words hatred, hostility and fight from their dictionaries, and they have established their lives on the basis of love, tenderness, and relationship with people.

They accept everyone with their positions rather than seeing the different understandings, comments and behaviors as means of combat, they regard these as opportunities to exhibit their vastness of ideas, and show people the ways of leading a humane life.
As can be seen, there is no place for hostility and hatred in the thought and belief system of Mr. Gülen.

On the contrary, my client finds it meaningless to hate one another, to dig a pit for someone else, and to make life a hell for others:

I wonder why this is so! Why don't we love each other although we can, why don't we build perpetual friendships, why don't we share the same grief and joy, sorrow and cheer? Is striving and endeavor for the sake of conquering the hearts more difficult than the struggles on the battle fields? Or is the heart, the most precious element of a human being closed itself to love, tolerance, embracing, accepting, and sharing, and instead have opened itself to hatred, hostility, intolerance, and monopoly of ideas?

No! I swear by God who creates hearts that what is richest and deepest cannot be so closed to virtues, and yet be so open to vice!

So now, if it is not in our history, where did this hatred, malice, enmity, and intolerance come from and how did it infiltrate into our people? Why do we hate and undermine one another and live like wolves, devouring one another? Why do we spoil and make life a hell for others?

We would like to express once more with this opportunity to reiterate that Mr. Gülen is concerned with the world of thoughts, not individuals, institutions, or political ambitions.

The pivot of his thoughts and actions is the human being and serving humankind in the framework of universal values. He is not involved in any unlawful activity.

We hereby inform the public opinion.

Best Regards,
Orhan Erdemli
The Lawyer of Fethullah Gülen

Published on fgulen.com, 20 April 2012, Friday

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