April 10, 2014

Dozens of US Congress members attend major convention of Turkic Americans in Washington

Dozens of members of the United States Congress, as well as U.S. administration officials and other leading public figures, attended the fourth annual convention organized by the Turkish American Alliance (TAA), the biggest umbrella organization of Turkic Americans, reiterating the solid ties between the people of the US and Turkey.

Duff confronts EU Minister Çavuşoğlu over claims he was 'bought by Gülen'

A senior member of the European Parliament (EP) slammed Turkish EU Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Thursday for claiming he had been bought by the Hizmet movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, saying the minister should either substantiate his accusation or apologize.

AK Party gov't treats critical letters, columns as ‘treachery'

In an attempt to defame the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish government and its media outlets have presented letters sent by civil society representatives affiliated with the faith-based movement to foreign officials providing them with information about the situation in Turkey as “treachery.”

To escape punishment, punish them all

Yavuz Baydar

The ongoing war to grab so much power has to do with the way Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to perceive the world, and his government does not feel that there should still be dissent -- however reasonable -- about the methods it uses to manage the country.

Ex-ministers call on gov't to abandon efforts to shut down Turkish schools

Reactions are growing in the face of the government's effort to close Turkish schools abroad that are affiliated with the Hizmet movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Turkish schools are being closed down

Nazlı Ilıcak, Bugün

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated he had ordered the closure of Turkish schools in 160 countries, arguing that the officials of those schools had sent letters to the leaders of foreign countries in which they complained about the Turkish government. The closure of these schools is a serious step, but the reason for the closure is not based on real evidence.

Judge of Adana police investigation revealed to be Erdoğan supporter

A judge who ordered the arrest of six police officers in Adana on Wednesday as part of an investigation into claims of illegal wiretapping has been revealed to be a strong supporter of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Where does Gülen stand on: democracy, human rights, and minorities?

Democracy

Fethullah Gülen recognizes democracy as the only viable political system of governance. He denounces turning religion into a political ideology, while encouraging all citizens to take an informed and responsible part in political life of their country. He stresses the flexibilities in the Islamic principles relating to governance and their compatibility with a true democracy [1].