“It is worrisome to witness developments that echo with the said National Security Council [MGK] decision, such as the plan to ban prep schools, the profiling of public employees and the purging of bureaucrats who are affiliated with certain communities,” the statement said.
“It is of crucial importance to revise all the legislation that is reminiscent of the old, anti-democratic Turkey to ensure their full compliance with fundamental rights and freedoms,” the statement said against the background of the government's move to ban prep schools, the leaks on the profiling of citizens and conservative groups, and the removal of bureaucrats who are affiliated with certain communities.
The statement underlined that the GYV is worried about such developments. It said it cannot overlook the fact that Cabinet members undersigned in 2004 MGK decision that called for the tracking and profiling of many civil society organizations (CSOs), including organizations and volunteers acting in line with the principles of the Hizmet movement, both at home and abroad, and the drafting of action plans targeting these organizations cannot be ignored.
The GYV reiterated the Hizmet movement's approach as saying that the movement relies on such fundamental principles as rule of law, democracy, pluralism, universal human rights and freedoms, justice, equal citizenship, compliance with international law and conventions, transparency of the state and accountability.
Touching on education reform and the attempt to ban private prep schools, the GYV said, “As long as there are exams that students are required to take as well as diversities in students' university/high school choices, privately run enterprises should not be prohibited from meeting the resulting demands.”
It criticized the government's plan to force prep schools to shut down by passing a law to that effect, saying that the plan is in breach of the universal principles and norms of law, particularly including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Turkish constitution, as well as of fundamental human rights and democratic values.
Describing the government's attempt as a “social engineering effort that is unacceptable,” the statement stressed that individuals and the society cannot be deprived of freedom of choice about education. It also rejected labeling of educational activities in the private field as “shadowing" the state's similar activities.
The strongly worded statement also dismissed suggestions that protests against the prep school ban are anti-democratic. “To portray the civilian/democratic reactions to the plan to ban prep schools as well as to anti-democratic moves as part of a political conspiracy is to wander off the main issue and distort reality,” the GYV said.
Recalling that it is the government that initiated the ban on prep school, not the Hizmet movement, the GYV said, “If the government believes there is really such a political conspiracy, it is still possible to put an end to this debate and defuse the tension by introducing education reforms and democratization moves that would reinforce the rule of law.”
The statement described the rumors -- such as the Hizmet movement is trying to "divorce the ruling Justice and Development Party [AK Party] from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," or "prevent Erdoğan from being elected as president," or "establish a political party and seek a political career," or "conspire with foreign powers against the AK Party" or pursue similar political projects – as conspiracy theories. It said these theories are “totally baseless, unfounded, clearly slanderous and defamatory.”
As for the establishment of a political party, the GYV once again rejected claims of the Hizmet movement forming a political party. But it said the people who are inspired by the Hizmet movement are free to lend support to any political party and/or candidates based on their personal choices.
Underlining that the Hizmet movement is supported by volunteers with a diverse array of political and ideological backgrounds, the statement said it is impossible for the movement to encourage its members to lend support to any specific political party or candidate.
“The Hizmet movement nurtures a heartfelt desire for Turkey's being endowed with true democracy, transparency, full-fledged rule of law and shows due respect to the nation's democratic preferences and to Parliament,” the statement added.
It also warned against all sorts of immoral and illegitimate methods in politics and in other areas of life in the run-up to a marathon of elections.
“It should be noted that we are witnessing alarming signs that certain immoral methods and moves for violating privacy that were employed prior to the past elections may be used again,” the GYV said.
Published on Today's Zaman, 05 December 2013, Thursday
