The hype about the Gülen Movement

Mustafa Akyol

One of the hot topics in present-day Turkey is the so-called “Gülen Movement,” a widespread religious network named after its spiritual leader, a Sufi-minded cleric named Fethullah Gülen.

Criticizing Gulen Movement, irrelevant to arrests of journalists

Washington Times

Luke Montgomery: Last year, Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık wrote a book entitled You Touch, You Burn (Dokunan Yanar) targeting the Gülen movement. Before the book was even published, he was arrested and thrown in jail. What happened to moderate and tolerant Islam in this case?

Turkey’s Gulen movement sees a smear campaign

Atul Aneja

As the endgame in Turkey's transition to a mature democracy nears, media attacks have sharpened against the Gulen movement — a mass mobilisation vehicle that has, over the years, openly and peacefully challenged the concentration of privileges among the country's military-backed old guard.

Endgame approaches in Turkey’s AKP-military elite tussle

Atul Aneja

Amid high drama, the tussle between Turkey’s military-led old guard and the elected civilian establishment led by Justice and Development Party (AKP) is nearing a decisive stage.

As both sides approach the end-game, their bitter contest to occupy prime political space, is raising fresh and serious questions about the future of Turkey’s democracy.

Setting the facts straight on the Gülen movement

James C. Harrington *

Much of what Dan Bilefsky and Şebnem Arsu’s recent article in the International Herald Tribune (“Shadow Force Grows in Turkey,” published on April 18) describes about Fethullah Gülen and Turkey’s recent history is accurate, but the authors cast a shadow of innuendo and loose conclusions, apparently more driven by personal predispositions than reality.

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:

Kurdish intellectuals denounce attack on Şırnak educational institution

Ayten Çiftçi

Kurdish intellectuals have joined critics of a suspected outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) attack on a building which hosts a private university prep course in Şırnak on Saturday, saying the masterminds of such attacks will not achieve their goals.

Gülen's books translated into Kurdish

Nurullah Kaya


Some of Fethullah Gulen's books

A number of books by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, which have been translated into many other languages, are now available in Kurdish.

Gülen has written many books on a variety of religious and Islamic topics that attract a large number of readers from all around the world. In order for the books to reach even more readers, they have been translated into a variety of languages, including Spanish, Russian and English. Kaynak Publications recently translated books by Gülen into Kurdish.

What are The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune after?

Bülent Keneş

I was quite taken aback as I read “Shadow force grows in Turkey,” co-written by Dan Bilefsky and Şebnem Arsu, which appeared at the International Herald Tribune (IHT), the international edition of The New York Times (NYT), on Wednesday.

Look what International Herald Tribune is doing

Ekrem Dumanlı

Once upon a time, people used to have faith in some papers, which have become famous because of their meticulous journalism, and to read their columns and opinion pieces with great admiration and attention.

Remarks on Gulen movement misquoted, AK Party founding member says

Sunday's Zaman

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 would be impossible for me to say such things,” Böhürler told the Cihan news agency. “I will also send a disclaimer to the newspaper.”

OIC head says he has always endorsed Turkish schools abroad

Abdullah Bozkurt

The Turkish-Gabonese International School in Libreville is not only helping bilateral relations between Turkey and Gabon but also improving ties between Gabon and the Muslim world, says the head an organization of 57 Muslim countries.

Ugandan media allegations of Turkish child abuser disproved

Today's Zaman

Turks in Uganda breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out that a man who sexually abused little girls and then paid them off is not Turkish, contrary to claims, the Cihan news agency reported on Friday.

A 53-year-old man named Emin Baro, who is at the center of the allegations, was presented by the Ugandan media as a Turk who works as a teacher in the country; however, it has been determined that Baro is not Turkish and carries passports from New Zealand and Macedonia.