[Press Release] The Corruption and Slander against the Hizmet Movement

Journalists and Writers Foundation

The painful process that started with the graft and bribery investigation on December 17, 2013 and led to the resignation of four Cabinet ministers and acquired a new dimension with the mass reshuffling of some 10,000 police chiefs and members of the judiciary is still underway.

Although the government was supposed to combat corruption in this process, rather it opted for passing laws that cannot be reconciled with universal legal norms and democratic principles in an effort to change the country agenda and distract attention away from corrupt practices.

It is true that the local elections slated for March 30 will be held in the shadow of the corruption and unlawfulness allegations that are not investigated.

Prime Minister marketed the historic graft investigation as a "coup against the government" and he targeted the Hizmet movement by voicing this claim first in the pro-government media outlets and then in the election rallies along with a host of unthinkable lies and slanders.

We sadly witness how these misguided arguments and discriminatory rhetoric, employed by Prime Minister, demoralize and impact on the emotional wellbeing of our society, undermine social peace and pave the way for violence by sowing the seeds of hatred and animosity.
Therefore,

(1) The ongoing "prestige assassination" against Mr. Fethullah Gülen, the honorary president of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), who has dedicated his life to serving his homeland and humanity and whose sole aim in doing so is to attain God's consent, is hurting many people profoundly.

(2) In a manner that can hardly be seen in any democratic country, the ruling party is targeting this nation's civilian entities and organizations and trying to "demonize" them by mobilizing all resources available to the state.

(3) As we noted in our previous statements, it is impossible for the Community, consisting of millions of voluntary supporters from different political ideologies, to establish a political party directly or indirectly, or to be affiliated with any political party --which is another false, unfounded claim that is occasionally voiced. This claim is a big lie.

Our fair-minded nation always knows what is right or wrong and acts wisely. No one needs anyone's advice.

(4) A Cabinet member claimed that Prime Minister was threatened by certain people who were affiliated with the Community. Whoever spurted this unpalatable claim is obliged to prove it. Otherwise, he will be regarded as a slanderer.

(5) Having asserted its trustworthiness in many cases in Turkey and around world for the last 50 years, the Hizmet movement has never engaged in any act that cannot be reconciled with humanitarian, Islamic or legal principles or values. The slanderous claims about the Hizmet movement's masterminding or resorting to blackmails, threats, conspiracies or plots --which are being unfairly parroted in election rallies-- are unacceptable.

(6) We are disappointed to see how certain academics and Islamic scholars choose to remain silent and indifferent to the inconceivable slanders and defamatory remarks hurled at millions of volunteers of the Hizmet movement and our Honorary President Fethullah Gülen, and we believe our virtuous nation will rightly assess their silence disguised as impartiality.

To the attention of the public, respectfully.

Published on Journalists and Writers Foundation, 06 March 2014, Thursday