AK Party VP Sahin: We can only be grateful to Hizmet people

Vice President of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Mehmet Ali Şahin remarked on the relations between AK Party and the Hizmet Movement (Gulen movement) in an interview*. Şahin said, “Is it possible for us to have any issue with the people performing such activities? We can be only grateful to them. We would only make for them easier their charity works. We would remove barriers they may face with.”

In his interview, Şahin talked about many issues including AK Party and Gulen Movement.

Question: The relations between the Hizmet movement and AK Party have been debated again after the recent statement by the movement. Are there problems with the movement?

Şahin: “Our brothers in Hizmet (Gulen movement), known as followers of Fethullah Gulen, came together for the purpose of [altruistic] service [to humanity]. They have foundations and associations. They try to serve not only our country and our people but also humanity only for the sake of the God. How come we may have any problem with them? We can only be grateful to them. We can only facilitate their good works. If they face with any barrier, we remove it.

As the government, we cannot have any problem with the people who act altruistically, with goodwill. Some may think whether they can raise mischief between AK Party and our brothers. May they not strive, we will not rise to the bait.”

* This is a partial translation of the interview, by the PII volunteers, of the question and answer related to the Gülen Movement only. The original interview was published in Turkish on August 19, 2013 by Aktif Haber.