Merve Büşra Öztürk
The possibility of rivalry or conflict between ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Hizmet (the Gülen movement, which consists of followers of Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen’s ideas), came to the agenda once again when individuals known to be Gülen followers took the side of the judiciary in a debate between the government and the judiciary after it summoned National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officials to testify in connection with acts of terrorism.
Circles close to the government have argued that the recent move by the prosecutor who summoned the MİT undersecretary and several other MİT officials to hear their testimony is clearly an attack on the government’s terrorism policies as the MİT officials who were summoned were all tasked by the prime minister to negotiate with terrorists. On the other hand, many Gülen supporters argue that the prosecutor’s only intention is to find out whether there are some agents in MİT that exceeded the limits of the negotiation.
February 18, 2012
February 17, 2012
Hizmet, forming a party and capturing the state
İhsan Yılmaz
During the recent political crisis surrounding the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), the judiciary, the police, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Hizmet movement, a few pro-AKP writers have implied that Hizmet has been interfering with politics.
Unfortunately, these writers do not appear to have any idea of a proper and well functioning democracy, and this worries me.
During the recent political crisis surrounding the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), the judiciary, the police, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Hizmet movement, a few pro-AKP writers have implied that Hizmet has been interfering with politics.
Unfortunately, these writers do not appear to have any idea of a proper and well functioning democracy, and this worries me.
Columnist says judiciary has evidence against MİT members
Today's Zaman
Mehmet Ali Birand, a columnist for the Posta daily, has said based on interviews he conducted with members of the judiciary regarding prosecutors summoning of top National Intelligence Organization (MİT) members as suspects in an ongoing case that there is strong evidence against the MİT members.
Birand wrote in a column on Tuesday that prosecutors are doing their jobs despite claims that either the Fethullah Gülen community is using prosecutors or the police force is using prosecutors to put the government in a tough position because of its support for MİT’s negotiations with members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to find a solution to the country’s long-lasting Kurdish issue.
 |
| Mehmet Ali Birand |
Birand wrote in a column on Tuesday that prosecutors are doing their jobs despite claims that either the Fethullah Gülen community is using prosecutors or the police force is using prosecutors to put the government in a tough position because of its support for MİT’s negotiations with members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to find a solution to the country’s long-lasting Kurdish issue.
February 16, 2012
Sabotage: Government - Gülen movement relations
Hüseyin Gülerce
We are facing a new situation that we are all trying to understand. First, the summoning of the undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Hakan Fidan, and several other MİT administrators to testify as suspects has turned into an unprecedented and serious problem. Those waiting in the wings encouraged a debate that started as a “conflict between the judiciary and MİT” to the point of it becoming a “conflict between the Gülen movement and the government” in which the “main target was the prime minister.”
We are facing a new situation that we are all trying to understand. First, the summoning of the undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Hakan Fidan, and several other MİT administrators to testify as suspects has turned into an unprecedented and serious problem. Those waiting in the wings encouraged a debate that started as a “conflict between the judiciary and MİT” to the point of it becoming a “conflict between the Gülen movement and the government” in which the “main target was the prime minister.”
PM’s aide dismisses rift between AK Party and Gülen movement
Today's Zaman
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's former chief advisor and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Yalçın Akdoğan dismissed allegations of tension between the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement in his article in the Yeni Şafak daily on Wednesday.
 |
| Yalçın Akdoğan |
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's former chief advisor and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Yalçın Akdoğan dismissed allegations of tension between the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement in his article in the Yeni Şafak daily on Wednesday.
February 15, 2012
Or is it Gülenophobia?
Merve Büşra Öztürk
Turkey’s frequently changing agenda has recently been dominated by one issue: An İstanbul prosecutor overseeing an investigation into a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-linked terrorist organization has asked the Ankara Prosecutor’s Office to hear the testimony of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan and has obtained arrest warrants for four other MİT agents.
Turkey’s frequently changing agenda has recently been dominated by one issue: An İstanbul prosecutor overseeing an investigation into a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-linked terrorist organization has asked the Ankara Prosecutor’s Office to hear the testimony of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan and has obtained arrest warrants for four other MİT agents.
Scenarios explaining the attack on MİT
Merve Büşra Öztürk
The arrest warrants that have been issued for Turkey’s former intelligence chief, his deputy and two other intelligence agents continue to be extensively debated. The warrants were issued a day after Hakan Fidan, the current head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), rejected a summons to testify in connection with an investigation into a suspected Kurdish terrorist organization.
Many Turkish observers said the judiciary’s move against the current and former spymasters amounts to a power struggle between rival branches of Turkey’s security forces -- the MİT and the police. Some also saw the attempt to force Fidan to testify as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. There is agreement among Turkish columnists that it is too soon to determine the real motive behind the arrest warrants; however, their columns are still full of possible scenarios.
The arrest warrants that have been issued for Turkey’s former intelligence chief, his deputy and two other intelligence agents continue to be extensively debated. The warrants were issued a day after Hakan Fidan, the current head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), rejected a summons to testify in connection with an investigation into a suspected Kurdish terrorist organization.
Many Turkish observers said the judiciary’s move against the current and former spymasters amounts to a power struggle between rival branches of Turkey’s security forces -- the MİT and the police. Some also saw the attempt to force Fidan to testify as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. There is agreement among Turkish columnists that it is too soon to determine the real motive behind the arrest warrants; however, their columns are still full of possible scenarios.
February 14, 2012
Catholics, Hizmet bring faiths closer in the U.S.
Saurabh Kumar Shahi
In the view of doomsday reports from the US, it does not come as a surprise how ordinary Americans from all faiths, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, have worked meticulously to bridge the gap and sheer absence of dialogue between these three Abrahamic religions especially in the context of post 9/11 world.
Leo D. Lefebure, a Catholic priest by training and Professor at Matteo Ricci Chair, Department of Theology at Georgetown University, who has been instrumental in this initiative, was in town to share his experience about his interaction with followers of Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet movement in the US.
In the view of doomsday reports from the US, it does not come as a surprise how ordinary Americans from all faiths, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, have worked meticulously to bridge the gap and sheer absence of dialogue between these three Abrahamic religions especially in the context of post 9/11 world.
February 13, 2012
Beware!
Ekrem Dumanlı
Because the agenda changes so quickly, this could be detrimental to the people, and in particular to commentators.
If you cannot look at the events through a strong will and comprehensive approach, you could be moved from one end to the other. However, history shows that swift and premature comments later embarrass those who make them.
It of course shocks all of us to hear that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) undersecretaries and officers were called to testify. This is why everyone attempted to find something meaningful in this move without trying to understand what really happened. Some questioned the MİT-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) talks held in Oslo. However, it has been long since these talks were exposed. Is it reasonable to believe that the judiciary has remained inactive over these five months and that a prosecutor has only now decided to investigate this? It has become evident that the essence of the matter is not the Oslo talks.
Because the agenda changes so quickly, this could be detrimental to the people, and in particular to commentators.
If you cannot look at the events through a strong will and comprehensive approach, you could be moved from one end to the other. However, history shows that swift and premature comments later embarrass those who make them.
It of course shocks all of us to hear that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) undersecretaries and officers were called to testify. This is why everyone attempted to find something meaningful in this move without trying to understand what really happened. Some questioned the MİT-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) talks held in Oslo. However, it has been long since these talks were exposed. Is it reasonable to believe that the judiciary has remained inactive over these five months and that a prosecutor has only now decided to investigate this? It has become evident that the essence of the matter is not the Oslo talks.
February 12, 2012
Is There 'The Cemaat' Under Every Stone?
Cüneyt Özdemir
Nazli Ilıcak, the author of "Is There The Cemaat Under Every Stone (*)?", queries our new bogeyman, the Cemaat (also known as the Hizmet or Gulen Movement), and determines the reasons lying underneath this fear with concrete evidence.
Nazli Ilıcak, the author of "Is There The Cemaat Under Every Stone (*)?", queries our new bogeyman, the Cemaat (also known as the Hizmet or Gulen Movement), and determines the reasons lying underneath this fear with concrete evidence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
