I went to Washington upon an invitation by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), which was established by businessmen close to the Hizmet movement.
I attended a meeting of the Turkic American Alliance (TAA). I asked if I could have a chance to meet [Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah] Gülen. He had not made an official evaluation about the [local] elections. They said Gülen does not make any official statements but that he would be happy to have a conversation with me. I accepted. I thought I would at least write about my observations, even if I couldn't persuade him to provide an evaluation of the local polls. I was glad to meet Gülen and had a nice conversation with him. I will not quote any sentences from what we said. This is a primary rule of journalism. But I'd like to stress that he is extremely sad that he has been placed at the center of certain accusations, and that sorrow negatively impacts his health. As I was entering his room, his doctor left. I learned that he has a problem with his heart. He asked me questions, and I asked him questions. He talked to me and listened to me. He was tired.
Published on Sunday's Zaman, 13 April 2014, Sunday
