Either brotherhood or backbiting

Ekrem Dumanli

We need to examine the articles published in the Turkish media before and after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to the US and the claims surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç's visit to Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania. The approach of media organizations and their members about these events has now turned into a litmus test.

As soon as Erdoğan's US visit was added to his agenda, certain circles were delighted. Revealing their true motives, they then started making predictions about whether Erdoğan would meet with Gülen. They were in a state of frenzy that was never seen before. Even though one of these people in question has been the country's prime minister for the last 10 years and the other is a distinguished, world-renowned Turkish Islamic scholar, these circles cunningly tried to create a shadowy atmosphere in order to present a possible Erdoğan-Gülen meeting as though it were illegal. What could be more natural than a meeting between a political leader who has been victorious for years and a community leader who has won people's hearts?

It is impossible for those who are trying to create strife and animosity to not know that Erdoğan and Gülen have already met several times before. At the very least, they should have remembered the picture of dialogue published by Turkish newspapers during the Feb. 28 process in which Gülen had posed with İstanbul Mayor Erdoğan and Professor Toktamış Ateş, or another photograph in which Gülen had posed with Erdoğan and famous Argentinean soccer player Diego Maradona while they were watching a friendship match in which renowned football players had come together to support Bosnia during the Bosnian War (1992-1995).

We need to realize that a certain group of people is working determinedly to create tension between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gülen movement. When they have the opportunity to do so, they don't refrain from trying to create tension between the AK Party and members of the Gülen movement. Moreover, there are some people who sail easily within the waters of these ill-intentioned circles. They want to see the members of the AK Party and the Gülen movement engage in rows. Sometimes, you might even see them in disguise as an AK Party “member” or a Gülen movement “member.” They have no tolerance for questions such as: How does a dispute between the AK Party and the Gülen movement benefit anyone or the country?

In any case, in response to a question on speculation about a meeting between Arınç and Gülen, Erdoğan modestly asked, “Is there something that falls from the sky which the ground could refuse?” With this, he was saying to those who were trying to create tension between the AK Party and Gülen movement, “Do not intervene in our relations.”

Erdoğan delegated Deputy Prime Minister Arınç to visit Gülen. When he was asked about the meeting between Arınç and Gülen, Erdoğan sent a clear message to the mischief-makers and their supporters by saying: “We have a brotherly relationship and a friendship based on a past. He [Gülen] welcomed us.”

Arınç's statements about Gülen which he made in an interview with TRT Türk TV on Wednesday did not surprise the people who know him and Gülen. But his statements held important reminders for those who have forgotten or do not know the kinds of storms that religious people in this country had to weather.

On the other hand, others were disturbed when Arınç underlined that there was a positive atmosphere during his visit to Gülen. For example, one of these people who was eager to make judgments without knowing anything about the issue brought up the earlier sex tape scandals involving former Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) senior staff and falsely claimed that the government, fearing that something similar would happen to them, decided to paid Gülen a visit. I don't think that Baykal, the MHP's senior staff or the people of this country would be convinced by this slander.

Let's be fair. Those who intentionally make such distorted comments have certain goals. Those who wait for an opportunity to provoke people against each other and foment hostility among different social segments can neither keep track of society's pulse nor understand society's feelings and values.

It seems that these ill-intentioned people will never dismiss the speculation that there is discord between the AK Party and the Gülen movement. It is quite natural that there might be some disagreements between the government and the movement. It is also quite understandable that those who exhibit rabid hostility toward the AK Party and the Gülen movement will do their best to create tensions between them. This is their duty.

I am addressing those who love this country very much. They have to realize the plots around us and stand alongside brotherhood, love, respect and tolerance. The things that will befall those who fail to recognize the plots and are defeated by their emotions will be backbiting, intolerance and jealousy. Can you tell me which one will make you feel extremely ashamed, both in the world today and in the hereafter?

Published on Sunday's Zaman, 26 May 2013, Sunday