A Feb. 28 tactic from the PKK

Bülent Korucu

These days, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) media is using a tactic to strike a blow at Fethullah Gülen that resembles one once used by the Feb. 28 supporters.

The Feb. 28 media, using a sort of cut-and-paste method with various sermons and discussions that have taken place, created lots of material for a lynching campaign. We could offer up lots of examples, but the most striking of them was this: While Gülen once actually said, “You cannot tell the CHP [main opposition Republican People’s Party] supporters to go to hell,” his words were manipulated to look like he said, “Let the CHP supporters go to hell.”

Benevolence in the Gulen Movement

Halit Okur

The concept of benevolence is very important part of Gulen Movement. Turkish speaking community calls Gulen Movement as Hizmet Movement. The word hizmet, which translates as service from Turkish, refers to public activities conducted by the followers of movement for the wellbeing of other people. It is important to notice that through their benevolent service to people, the followers of Gulen Movement hope to please and become closer to God. In such a way, benevolence lies at the essence of the Hizmet Movement and comprises its inalienable part.

Pakistani Minister visits the baby who was born in a KYM tent

Kimse Yok Mu

Pakistan Punjab Province Food and Mineral Resources Minister Abdul Chafoor visited a family that survived the earthquake, and which KYM gave a helping hand to in Van. Pakistan Minister presented a crib as a gift for the baby.

The communities of many different countries run to help Van

Kimse Yok Mu

Immediately after the 7.2 earthquake in Van that shook all Turkey, many people and institutions from Turkey and all over the world mobilized to help Van. Ebru TV, broadcasting in the USA, held a live broadcast campaign for earthquake relief.

100 truckloads of relief supplies were distributed to earthquake survivors

Kimse Yok Mu

100 truckloads of aid, amounting to 4 million Turkish Liras was delivered and distributed to the earthquake survivors by the volunteers with the message "We always got your back."

200 prefabricated houses to be built in Van

Kimse Yok Mu

Due to the violent 7.2 earthquake in Van, KYM continues it's emergency relief activities, which are now in full swing and have started the construction of prefabricated houses in the disaster region.

"Sincerity" the Remedy

Cemil Genç

Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen’s solution to today’s problems are not only unique but also very practical. For example; one of the major challenges the people of religion and the scholars have been facing with is the lack of unity amount them. How come people of truth and concord oppose each other in rivalry? Unity belongs in reality to the people of peace and dispute to the hypocrites; how is it that these two have changed places? Today, people of truth, people of the law and people of reality all worshipping God have been confronted by this conflict all over the world.

Turkish charity foundation opens hospital in Uganda

Ayşe Doğan / Mehmet Ali Poyraz

With the donations collected from a telethon charity campaign started by Turkish aid organization Kimse Yok Mu? (Is Anybody There) and Samanyolu Haber TV, construction of a humanitarian complex, which will include a school, hospital, a dinner hall and a vocational training school, has started in Uganda.

Turkish Cultural Center hosts dinner to promote peace, understanding

Harold McNeil

Local elected officials, community leaders and representatives from different faith-based organizations turned out Monday in the Hyatt Regency Buffalo for some Turkish-American hospitality.

The third annual Friendship Dinner organized by the Turkish Cultural Center offered not just tasty kebabs and baklava as hors d’oeuvres, but an opportunity to forge connections among a diverse group of people and promote peace.

Niagara Foundation Peace and Dialogue Awards

Adil James

The Niagara Foundation held an awards ceremony Thursday October 27th, 2011 at the Westin Southfield, which celebrated several prominent people, including Graham W.J. Beal of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Janice M. Brown of the Kalamazoo Promise, Stephen Schram, Director of Broadcasting for Michigan Public Radio, and Victor Ghalib Begg, Community Activist.

About 100 people attended the awards ceremony and dinner.

Nigerian Turkish schools slaughter 1000 cows for sallah

Zion Zadok

As service to Allah and to commemorate the Sallah celebration, the Nigerian Turkish International Schools under the UFUK Dialogue Foundation of the schools slaughtered 1000 cows for charity.

President of the Foundation, Tamer Çopuroğlu said in Abuja that the gesture was a yearly ritual performed by the NTIS with contributions from Turkish businessmen as well as Turkish college parents to give out meat to the handicaps, orphans and the indigent people within Nigeria. Çopuroğlu who said that the 1000 cows were slaughtered in the 17 Turkish Colleges in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Yobe States and the FCT for distribution in villages and satellite towns within the states also advised able Muslims and those who were affluent to take up the challenge and reach out to the underprivileged as an act of worship to Allah or as a duty to the society.

Ebru TV telethon collects nearly $800,000 for victims of Turkey quake

Aydoğan Vatandaş

The US-based Ebru TV has hosted a live telethon to collect donations to help relief and rebuilding efforts after a deadly earthquake that hit eastern Turkish province of Van last month.

The telethon, aired on Thursday, created an outpouring of support from big-hearted American public who helped raise almost $800,000 in pledges for the victims of the devastating earthquake.

Donations have been collected on behalf of Helping Hands Relief Foundation during the telethon hosted by EBRU TV, based in South Jersey.

Living the Love: Fethullah Gulen's Work and Vision

Cemil Genç

"You have to live your Love or else you’ll only end in words.”
Rumi

Human problems and contemporary terminology

The world that we live in today is full of pressing dilemmas and unsolved puzzles. Academics, intellectuals, policy-makers as well as opinion leaders struggle to define and find a permanent solution to the spread of nationalism, the challenges of democratization, the perils of globalization, and many other social concerns of deep importance. However, the lack of a common terminology hinders communication among the people and delays resolution of the disputes. Even when we seem to agree upon conceptual frameworks the lack of implementing power prevents us from delivering the positive results. Yet, our hope for a better future has never really died. At different points in history, people have been able to mobilize for good inspired by historical lessons and prominent ideas.

Ebru TV Telethon Raised Over $750,000

Ebru News

EBRU TV hosted a telethon in partnership with the Helping Hands Relief Foundation for victims of Turkiye's recent earthquake on Thursday evening.

The Telethon, which collected more than 750-thousand dollars in pledges was hosted by Ebru News anchors Logan Crawford and Diane Bakos.

Islam’s real enemy: The Muslim-meter

Burak Bekdil

Fethullah Gulen

One cannot help but admire the often ignored quote by prominent Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, which one of his intellectual followers recently reminded me of during a private conversation: “Just like there are endless ways human beings breathe, there are endless ways human beings practice their belief; and all of them must be respected.” I recalled, with sorrow, that line when I recently read a brief review of a book written by a former top Muslim cleric (and one of the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP).

Dr. Esposito: The Gulen Movement Introduces Turkey to the World

Ayten Çiftçi

Dr. John L. Esposito, a professor of Islam at Georgetown University in the United States said that the Gülen Movement has brought a major contribution to the recognition of Turkey in the world. Dr. Esposito who came to Turkey for the workshop entitled 'Transition from dictatorship to democracy', which was organized by the Turkish Prime Ministry's Office of Public Diplomacy and the Georgetown University the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, stated, "The whole world should benefit from the services performed by the Gülen movement.” Esposito told the Zaman newspaper that the movement has a big mission not only in Turkey but in the world, and further added, "They have neither political nor ideological efforts. They have one goal. That is to enlighten the world with education. This is why we need the Gülen Movement in this age.” Stating that he wrote a book about the Gülen movement in 2003, Esposito said that he did not want to meet Fethullah Gulen only to be objective about him. Esposito noted that Gülen's house was very close to his house, "One day I could have visited him, but I was afraid that those around me would doubt my objectivity if they thought I was friends with Gulen".

Rumi Forum bestows Peace and Dialogue Awards

Ali H. Aslan

The Rumi Forum, an international organization promoting interfaith dialogue and peace, presented awards celebrating peace and dialogue initiatives at their annual Peace and Dialogue Awards ceremony in Washington on Tuesday.

Ceremony Honors Individuals Dedicated to Peace

Erdoğan Dur, Namisha Sarin, Yavuz Yağlıdere

The nation's capital - the scene of a pretigious ceremony... honoring those who contribute to the world's interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

In Washington D-C, the 6th Annual 2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards drew a crowd of supporters dedicated to peace and understanding worldwide.

Opinion: Out of the rubble, a chance to mend relations

Aydoğan Vatandaş *

Even though Turkey and Israel had great tensions after the Mavi Marmara raid last year, it was a breath of a fresh air to know that Israel was the first country to extend her hand to Turkey following last week’s devastating earthquake in Van.

The United States, Germany, Greece and Poland also offered help, as did Armenia, a country that had no diplomatic relationship with Turkey for a long time.

But Turkey was initially reluctant to accept outside offers of help.

Somali education minister praises opening of Turkish school

Alyson Neel

The Somali education minister expressed his happiness at the opening of the first Turkish high school in Somalia on Monday.

"It has been wonderful -- the students and parents are very happy to have access to quality education," Somali Education Minister Ahmet Aidid Ibrahim shared in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman on Tuesday.

Logistics center and food center are opened with a ceremony in Somalia

Kimse Yok Mu

KYM Association opened a Logistics Center and a food center with a ceremony attended by the Somali PM Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

The ceremony was held in the center of the capital city Mogadishu and the Prime Minister gave a speech thanking the Turkish people for all the help.

Turkish hospital opens to save lives in Kazakhstan

Today's Zaman

The Sema Hospital, specializing in the treatment of heart disease, was officially inaugurated over the weekend in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan.

Turkish college to partner Yobe on education, agriculture

Hamisu Kabir Matazu

The Turkish International College has expressed its readiness to partner Yobe Emirates on education and agriculture.

Turkey as seen from Pakistan

İhsan Yılmaz

KARACHI -- I have been giving a marathon of speeches in Pakistan, and in the past few days have spoken in three or four different venues on the transformations taking place in Turkey, Turkish foreign policy, Turkish NGOs, relations between Turkey and the West, the Arab Spring from the Turkish perspective and the relationship between secularism, Islam and democracy in Turkey.

Fethullah Gülen and a new paradigm in the Kurdish issue

Markar Esayan

We are experiencing hard times. This country has so many ignored problems that are affecting us; they do this sometimes as a group, sometimes individually and sometimes as a collective whole.

Waste of time and money may be compensated. But how about the loss of lives? Or what about those who have experienced the anguish of losing a loved one.

TV stations raise TL 129 million for earthquake victims

Today's Zaman

Relief efforts for the victims of last Sunday's massive earthquake have overtaken the entire country, with several TV stations raising TL 129 million as part of a joint charity telethon.

STV, Kimse Yok Mu raise TL 65 million for quake victims

Today's Zaman

More than TL 65 million was raised in a special telethon organized by the Samanyolu Media Group and Turkish charity foundation Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) on Tuesday night for the victims of Sunday's massive earthquake in eastern Turkey, according to a Cihan news agency report.

A total of TL 65,056,527 was donated during a live fundraising telecast on local Samanyolu TV channels and radio stations. More than 9,000 people reached out in support of the earthquake victims by sending SMS text messages during the telethon. The show was hosted by Gezegen Mehmet, a famous radio personality.

Opportunity emerges -- from Van

Yavuz Baydar

There is such a huge difference between causes of death. Just a week or so ago the country was traumatized by an abominable attack that killed 24 soldiers. Two days ago, retaliatory action resulted in -- according to military sources -- the deaths of 270 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) insurgents. There were Kurds, as I wrote in my previous article, among the soldiers and many of the militants were Kurds from Turkey.

The earthquake that hit the predominantly Kurdish province of Van on Sunday has killed over 300 people. The worst hit area, the district of Erciş, is almost purely Kurdish, with political sympathies equally divided between Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

Fethullah Gülen: ‘Shame for military to stage coups but not to finish off the PKK’

Today's Zaman

Renowned Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said it is shameful that the Turkish military, which ruled millions of people after staging coups, has failed to bring an end to outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism despite three decades having passed since it came into existence.

In his latest speech broadcast on the herkul.org website, Fethullah Gülen expressed his grief over the deaths of dozens of security members during terrorist attacks in the country's Southeast last week. He also expressed his disappointment over the Turkish military's failure to end PKK terrorism over the past 30 years.

German interpellation about Gülen Movement

The Federal Government of Germany responded to a minor interpellation by Ulla Jelpke et al from the Die Linke party, who inquired about the Gülen movement. In a letter signed by Klaus-Dieter Fritsche, the President of the German Bundestag, Federal Government responded to this inquiry by affirming that “The Federal Government does not have any information about the Fethullah Gülen movement which may be relevant to the protection of the Constitution. The Fethullah Gülen movement is not monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.” Here are the questions by the Die Linke party and answers by the government:

We were afraid to publish when we got the coup diaries, Birand says

Fatih Vural

Veteran journalist Mehmet Ali Birand made striking confessions about the contribution of the mainstream media to the military in anti-democratic practices over the years in May, triggering the debate on the role of the media during military coups.

Noting that most journalists and media channels acted in favor of the military to guarantee the hegemonic position of the secular and Kemalist establishment in the political landscape thus excluding important segments of society from the decision-making process, Birand said that democracy had not been as important as retaining political power by using any means, including supporting coups, for secular intellectuals and journalists.

Superheroes inspired by Quran nothing to fear (Fear Not)

Kay Campbell

Fethullah Gulen

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The contested reputation of Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen is a case study in the vexations faced by Muslims who are working for peace in a world too often convinced that all Muslims are either murderous zealots, friends of murderous zealots, covering up for said murderous zealots, or future murderous zealots.

Turkish Islamist fundamentalists claim that Gulen, who now lives in the U.S., is working for Jewish interests inside of Turkey. Also, Gulen is a Trojan horse for the American C.I.A. (this in the land where the Trojan Horse was invented) to infect Turkey with Western decadence.

PKK’s war for survival and power

Bülent Keneş

Turkey woke up to an indescribable sorrow on Wednesday morning. Hundreds of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists launched simultaneous attacks against eight different spots in the Çukurca district of Hakkari, slaughtering 24 young soldiers and wounding 22 others in the spring of their lives.

People are quite right to ask why security forces failed to take adequate security measures in the region to protect both themselves and the country despite the fact that the terrorist organization will have increased concerns about its survival and act with these concerns in mind, as there have been refreshed hopes that the work on drafting a new constitution will remove the remaining traces of the Kurdish issue, which has already been diminished thanks to the democratic reforms implemented so far.

Fethullah Gülen says he is saddened over heart-wrenching PKK killings

Today's Zaman

Fethullah Gulen

Turkish renowned Islamic scholar has said he is saddened over the death of Turkish soldiers in attacks by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Hakkari on Wednesday that killed 24 soldiers.

Fethullah Gülen said despite similar previous incidents and all intelligence gathering, openly tandem attacks as a result of lack of necessary sensitivity and measures, these attacks are a dark scenario played out over these territories.

Gülen expressed condolences for the slain troops and said he hopes people could tackle these problems.

Published on Today's Zaman, 20 October 2011, Thursday

Turkey rolls up sleeves to reach out to needy at home, abroad on Eid al-Adha

Today's Zaman

Turkish charity groups are once again preparing to help the less fortunate in Turkey and around the world during the upcoming holiday of Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), which is to begin on Nov. 6 and last for four days.

I see real patriotism in the Gülen movement *

Serdar Turgut

When I sit down to write my column, I never worry about pleasing everyone or constraining my emotions. When I decide it's the right time for a column, my emotions should be heightened. I do not write with my brain; I write with my heart.

Protectionist Ideology in Turkey and Its Cheap, Polarizing Bloggers Abroad

Muhammed Çetin

When a conflict arises in society, adherents of any ideology will use it to their own advantage. One way they do this is by pushing groups outside the conflict to be involved in it.

They attempt to make their adversary's position seem illegitimate and negative in the eyes of third parties. Protectionist groups in the Turkish system use all these tactics to discredit opponents, legitimize repression and mask unlawful schemes. Their easiest route to that end has been to control the media, including recently using deceitful bloggers outside Turkey.

Afghan-Turk Medal Winning Students Praised

Kabul (BIA)

As many as 43 Afghan-Turk High School got first positions in a competition held in Turkey and won medals were lauded during a meeting in Kabul. The students had attended a competition of social and science in Turkey could get the first positions and win gold, silver and bronze medals. At the meeting, general director of Afghan-Turk schools in Kabul, Neman Urdoghan shed light on the historical relation between the two countries and pledged expansion of cultural and education activities of his country with Afghanistan. Likewise, Turkish ambassador emphasized on expansion of his country’s cooperation particularly in the area of education and health as saying that, “we join the Afghan people in their pain and grief”. At the meeting education minister, Farooq Wardak also lauded the talent of the Afghan-Turk school students who had brought medals and honored their people and government. He also thanked the Turkish country for providing education facilities for the Afghan students. At the end of the meeting prizes were distributed among the medal winning students.

Published on Bakhtar News Agency, 11 October 2011, Wednesday

The ‘community’ [Gulen movement] and the Kurdish issue

Özlem Albayrak, Yeni Şafak

The Gülen movement has long been approached by other religious groups and communities with wariness since it refused to be “obstinate” with the Republican regime that oppressed Muslims for many years and it failed to level criticism of modernity and the West as was typical of other Muslim groups.

Balkans between two worlds: Turkey and Europe

Mesut İdriz *

Geo-ontologically the Balkans falls at the crossroads between the heartlands of Turkey’s Anatolia and Europe.
...

Turkish educational institutions in the Balkans have a longer history than Turkish state agencies, in both pre-university and university levels. These educational institutions have managed to be successful as secondary schools, so-called “kolej” (high schools), where the medium of instruction is in English, along with the local languages. These schools’ students do not belong to a specific group or ethnicity, as the schools are open to all, including the children of diplomats and expats working for international companies.

Importance and power of the Gülen movement

Cengiz Çandar, Radikal

The Gülen community is currently the most influential Turkish lobby in the US. They work in the right way and obey the rules of the game in the US perfectly.

The US and Turkey: Rebuilding relations

Beril Dedeoğlu

There is a considerable difference between looking at Turkey from inside and outside the country. From which foreign country one looks towards Turkey also matters greatly. When we are in Turkey, we often view ourselves as people capable of criticizing their country and as a nation that yearns for a better political system, better democracy and more transparent institutions. However, from the outside, the image we portray is sometimes quite different.

We were in Los Angeles for the last few days as guests of the Pacifica Institute, in the context of the Turkish Cultural and Food Festival. We had contradictory feelings when we visited the city and the festival area. California is one of the richest states in the US, and its level of development has sometimes astonished us. It's instructive to observe how the agriculture, industry and service sectors can develop in harmony, how vineyards and colleges, how the movie industry and ports can coexist and even support each other's activities. It was also a reminder how much distance Turkey has yet to cover.

Albanian president hails Turkish schools in his country

Today's Zaman

Albanian President Bamir Topi has praised schools opened in his country by Turkish entrepreneurs and called for the opening of more such schools.

Turkey's Gulen movement and global Islamic activism

Mohamed Nawab Osman *

Contemporary writings on Islam tend to portray global Islamic activism in a negative light. In such writings, the notion of global Islamic activism is often linked to the revival of the Islamic Caliphate as espoused by groups such as the al-Qaida and Ikhwanul Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood).

Pak Turk university soon

Ashraf Ansari

Islamabad—ground breaking ceremony of Girls School Campus H-8/1 of Pak Turk International Schools and Colleges was performed here on Friday.

The ceremony was organized by the Pak Turk International Cag Educational Foundation (ICEF’s) in which officials of Pakistan and Turkey, business community, academicians, philanthropists and parents of Pak Turk Schools’ were present.

Anatolia in Los Angeles

Ergun Babahan

LOS ANGELES -- The Gülen movement continues to successfully bring Turkey to every corner of the world. We are in Los Angeles for this year’s 3rd Anatolian Cultures and Foods Festival. There are hundreds of people here from Turkey as well as from various other countries in Europe.

Fethullah Gülen's Ideas Address the Entire World

Bülent Keneş

Fethullah Gulen

The ideas of Fethullah Gülen, the most discussed figure of Turkey for decades now, have become important topics in the intellectual circles of the world in recent years. Having millions of followers worldwide in addition to those in his own country, Gülen has risen to prominence with his statements and actions that shatter the twisted perception of Islam into a thousand pieces.

The Anatolians are coming

Mustafa Akyol

If you want to get an idea of how much Turkish civil society has flourished recently, just visit this address on your browser: http://www.anatolianfestival.org/. It is the website of the “Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival” that will be held this upcoming weekend in Costa Mesa, California. Probably the largest nongovernmental “Turkish event” so far in the United States, it is quite impressive. In a huge area expected to be visited by tens of thousands, icons of Turkish culture will be displayed via impressive installations, concerts, conferences and eateries.

Ethics in a Multifaith Society: Muslims and Christians in Dialogue

The conference “Ethics in a multifaith society: Muslims and Christians in Dialogue” [Tuesday-Wednesday, 22-23 November 2011] is held in honour of M. Fethullah Gülen, from whom the Australian Catholic University Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Catholic Relations, established in 2007, takes its name.

Turkish charities in Somalia for long haul

Alyson Neel

Somali Education Minister Mustafa Aidid Ibrahim has called for a remedy, not a band aid from the international community in addressing his country’s ailments.

Diplomacy between Turkey and Israel

Mehmet Kalyoncu *

“Constructive ambiguity” is probably the most useful diplomatic tool that enables the states to move forward in their relationships with their counterparts, no matter what kind of crisis they may have experienced.

But it looks like it has long been kicked out of the Turkish diplomatic lexicon. Technically, the constructive ambiguity is defined as a deliberate vagueness in one's statements or position in negotiations with a view to expand the realm of maneuvering in order to advance particular political objectives.

‘Military ban on journalists resulted in lost jobs after 1997 coup’

Köksal Akpınar

Cüneyt Özdemir, a young and promising journalist, said the biggest threat faced by journalists during the Feb. 28 postmodern coup in Turkey was losing their jobs if they flout a ban on their entering military facilities and housing complexes.

Somali Education Minister: Somalia needs remedy, not band-aid

Alyson Neel

Somali Education Minister Ahmet Aidid İbrahim, in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman on Thursday in İstanbul, said that drought-stricken Somalia needs a sustainable remedy from the international community, not a mere band-aid. “My country has been struggling for twenty years because of civil war and a lack of law and order,” İbrahim said of the dismal conditions in Somalia, where there has been no central governmental control over most of the country's territory since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991.

309 Somali students come to Turkey for education

Today's Zaman

Turkish charity organization Kimse Yok Mu on Wednesday gave 309 Somalis the opportunity to receive a quality education in Turkey, according to a news report from the Cihan news agency.

The students, along with Kimse Yok Mu officials and Somali Education Minister Ahmet Eydid İbrahim, arrived at İstanbul Atatürk Airport early Wednesday morning, where they were welcomed by more Kimse Yok Mu representatives.

Fethullah Gulen sees peace wherever Huntington sees clash

Ali İhsan Aydın

The Gülen movement was explored by many scholars and academicians at the London School of Economics during the three-day conference.

On the last day of a conference titled "The Changing Islamic World: Contributions of the Fethullah Gülen Movement" held in London, Gülen's interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue activities were discussed.