İpek lashes out at government media for recycling the same lies

Businessman Akın İpek has issued a strong rebuke to the Sabah and Takvim dailies, the two flagship government media outlets, who repeated in their Tuesday editions allegations that İpek is expanding his villa in Ankara to make it spacious enough to host Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen when he returns from the US to live in Turkey.

Erdoğan files another lawsuit against Today's Zaman editor-in-chief

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a legal complaint against the editor-in-chief of Today's Zaman, Bülent Keneş, over messages on the microblogging site Twitter, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Thursday.

Kimse Yok Mu holds iftar dinner for Bosnian orphans

Kimse Yok Mu Foundation (KYM) recently held an exclusive event for the Bosnian orphans. Some 150 orphans from SOS village and Byelave Dormitory were received at Burch University in Sarajevo, where a special mime performance and iftar dinner were held in their honor. Director of the foundation Izvor Nade, KYM affiliate in Bosnia, Harun Tursan noted the event aimed to get the Bosnian orphans experience a special night. “We wanted to make a surprise for our children from SOS village and Byelave Dormitory. Tonight has been a follow-up to our past events. We intend to hold more charity events for our children. In addition to tonight’s gathering, we aim to serve iftar dinners for 10 thousand throughout the month of Ramadan.”

İhsanoğlu says he is ‘against any kind of witch hunt'

The joint presidential hopeful of an alliance of opposition parties, Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu has said that he is against any kind of witch hunt based on political or ideological accusations in the absence of evidence.

‘Hizmet conspiracy' theories rejected at iftar hosted by Alevis

Participants of an iftar held by the Federation of Alevi-Bektaşi Associations under the theme “Solidarity in the light of the Qur'an” at the Renaissance Polat Hotel in İstanbul on Wednesday evening expressed their disbelief in the existence of any conspiracy prepared by the Hizmet movement.

Erdoğan's smear campaign against Zaman draws ire

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged people to boycott the Zaman media group while speaking in a rally in the Black Sea city of Tokat on Wednesday, a move which comes as a major blow to media freedoms and people's right to obtain information.

Experts call for legal action against unlawful anti-Hizmet plot

Protests against an unlawful order for a police probe targeting the faith-based Hizmet movement over fictitious and unsubstantiated accusations continue to snowball, with several legal experts calling for legal action against the officials behind the order.

Critics compare anti-Hizmet plot to Feb. 28 period

Politicians and legal experts have continued to raise their voices against an unlawful order for a police probe targeting the faith-based Hizmet movement over unsubstantiated accusations, with some comparing the directive with the practices of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup period.

Alevi figures slam Star daily over inaccurate report on mass wiretaps

Alevi opinion leaders who were allegedly among the thousands of people whose phone conversations were wiretapped by the so-called “parallel state” as was claimed by Star daily have criticized the daily for its manipulative coverage.

İhsanoğlu says he has received threats since presidential nomination

Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the joint presidential candidate of an alliance of opposition parties, has said that he has been receiving threats since he was nominated last month but is undeterred by the threats and slander campaign against him.

Hizmet turns theories of Millennium Development Goals into practice

The Hizmet movement has been mentioned as an organization making a major contribution toward the Millennium Development Goals of the UN through education, at an international panel at the United Nation's headquarters in New York on Tuesday organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) and the Peace Islands Institute (PII).

Can the Gülen Community be finished off by force?

Emre Uslu

The world has seen numerous trials which were attempts to finish off certain social groups by force. In the US, Joseph McCarthy spurred the FBI into action to wipe out Communists from the country. He now sits on display in humanity's gallery of shame.

Gülen’s lawyer files criminal complaint over anti-Hizmet plot

Nurullah Albayrak, lawyer of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, filed a criminal complaint against officials who gave orders to carry out unlawful investigation against Hizmet Movement inspired by Gülen.

Scores of companies profiled in anti-Hizmet witch hunt by covert EGM unit

A secretive unit operating under the National Police Department has identified all companies and businessmen affiliated with the Hizmet movement in the 81 provinces of Turkey, profiling some 100,000 firms, the Taraf daily reported on Wednesday.

CHP submits parliamentary question on anti-Hizmet plot

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) submitted a parliamentary question on Tuesday concerning an order for a police probe targeting the faith-based Hizmet movement.

Order for Hizmet probe is political, not legal, say rights activists

A human rights expert has drawn attention to the possibility that evidence may have been fabricated against the Hizmet movement as a result of the police order for a probe into the movement, while another activist has called it a political order.

Opposition highly critical of scandalous anti-Hizmet order

Members of the opposition parties have spoken out against an order for a police probe targeting the Hizmet movement that is to include leveling a number of fictitious accusations such as linking members of the movement with several infamous assassinations committed in Turkey in the recent past.

Court orders prove gov't media's anti-Hizmet smear campaign

Numerous court decisions issued over the past few months have shown that government-controlled media in Turkey have consistently manufactured lies about the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen following allegations made by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that the movement is behind a corruption investigation that is part of an effort to overthrow the government.

Minister silent over anti-Hizmet plot despite parliamentary question

Despite parliamentary bylaws requiring responses to questions within 15 days, Interior Minister Efkan Ala is yet to respond to a parliamentary question from his predecessor, İdris Naim Şahin, asking if there is a secret plot against the faith-based Hizmet movement and if the ruling party has mobilized its resources to fabricate evidence and initiate an operation against the movement.

Criticism rains down on police order to unlawfully probe Hizmet

Criticism has been raining down on a written order sent by the National Police Department to police departments in 30 provinces in which the former accused the faith-based Hizmet movement of working to overthrow the government with no evidence and asked the police to inquire if the movement is an armed group.

Can civil servants commit crimes?

Ekrem Dumanlı

If a man goes to a prosecutor and says, "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the leader of the parallel structure and I have serious documents about him," what is the prosecutor supposed to do?

State institution turns intern away due to links with Hizmet

The Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) witch hunt against the Hizmet movement has reached interns in state institutions after one student was turned away after his links to the movement were discovered.

Turkey no longer a model for Islamic world, expert says

Turkey has moved far away from its former position as a model country for the Islamic world and the Arab states, a professor from Zagazig University in Egypt has said.

Police unlawfully order probe into Hizmet on fictitious accusations

The National Police Department has recently sent a written order to police departments in 30 provinces and in which it accused the faith-based Hizmet movement of working to overthrow the government with no shred of evidence and asked the police to inquire if the movement is an armed group.

Municipal order to halt construction sparks reactions

The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) recently has stopped the construction of an education complex on privately owned land in the Gaziosmanpaşa district on the pretext that the land will be used as a green area and a gathering spot in the event of an earthquake, triggering public reaction to the decision.

Erdoğan’s presidency

Fatma Dişli Zıbak

In order to fulfill his dream of becoming Turkey’s 12th president, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan -- who announced his candidacy for the top state post earlier this month -- began his campaign in the Black Sea city of Samsun. Samsun has symbolic importance as it is the place where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk launched Turkey’s War of Independence in 1919. Columnists have discussed symbols in Erdoğan’s campaign and how, being a leader who has become increasingly authoritarian and willing to disregard the rule of law, his presidency will drag the country into chaos.

The Value of Time in Fethullah Gulen’s Teachings

"By the Time! Verily! Man is in loss, Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience. [1]"

New center-right party aims at Erdoğan’s AKP

Murat Yetkin

A new party is expected to announce its establishment under the name of the “Center Party” on July 7. It claims the “center,” but despite some of the individuals expected to be among its founders being of center-left origin, the majority of those with grassroots links are of right wing origin.

The Dialogue Eurasia Platform serves world peace for 15 years

A reception was held to commemorate the 15th anniversary of establishment of the Dialogue Eurasia Platform (DAP). Speaking during the ceremony, Co-Chair Harun Tokak said: "There are three forms of human relations: speaking, being indifferent and fighting. The DAP opted for speaking. Going from one country to the other, it called on people to establish dialogue."

Some thoughts on Hizmet

Husnu Demir

One important informal ‘institution’ or tradition within the movement is the cay sohbets (tea discussions). These sohbets are weekly or monthly gatherings that bring people together – almost like a book club or study circle where books are read, at least some text of Fethullah Gulen’s and usually various other sources- possibly including magazines, poems or videos. These gatherings are very important as it allows people to become informed intellectually, spiritually and are where the seeds for service oriented projects planted and brainstormed. From such gatherings committees are formed and the ground work for institutions are laid.

CHP's Öztrak: Gov't preparing to turn witch-hunt into clean-up

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which has launched a witch-hunt in state agencies, purging every civil servant who it deems is affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement, is passing laws to carry out a complete clean-up in the state bureaucracy, Faik Öztrak, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has said.

Turkish army denies general may be dismissed

Turkish army has denied reports that one of its generals is not "favored by the government" and that the authorities are seeking his purge because of alleged links to the Hizmet movement.

Forms of Islam: Popular Islam – Hizmet and The Gülen Movement

Graham E. Fuller

Traditional Islamic values of piety, social commitment, tolerance, social justice and moderation in Islam find themselves overwhelmed in the current fray of international violence, war, injustice, fanaticism, and daily hardship in the Middle East – key source of anxiety to most Muslims today. This kind of toxic environment contributes to increased insecurity, desperation, intolerance and radicalism. It is precisely these dangerous trends that the Turkey-based faith movement of Fethullah Gülen today seeks to combat. Gülen’s movement represents the largest, most powerful and influential Islamic movement in the world today that prioritizes the quest for moderation, dialog and modernity in Islam.

Despite denials, purge from within military widely speculated

Lale Kemal

The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) is staffed by high-ranking generals, with civilian decision-makers having less control over the promotion and retirement of generals.

CHP questions prep school investments by PM's son-in-law

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy chairman and İstanbul deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu submitted a parliamentary question to Education Minister Nabi Avcı on Thursday, asking him whether the government's decision to force the closure of private prep schools (dershanes) is tied to the fact that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son-in-law has allegedly made business investments in the same field.

Bank Asya sells stakes in 2 subsidiaries

Leading Turkish Islamic lender Bank Asya has decided to sell its stakes in two subsidiaries for TL 132 million ($62 million), the bank said on Wednesday.

Gülen-linked GYV brings message of peace, dialogue to polarized Turkey

The 20th anniversary of the traditional annual dinner hosted by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chairman is Fethullah Gülen, was held on Tuesday in İstanbul, with a message focusing on peace, solidarity and dialogue against the backdrop of a highly politicized climate that has recently divided and polarized Turkish society.

Erdogan’s aggressive policies

Mustafa Göktepe*

“What is happening in Turkey, everything was going so well, it was an example of democracy in a region marked by conflicts?” This is what many of my Brazilian friends ask me.

‘We would like to increase the number of Turkish schools'

The top advisers on education to the Senegalese president and prime minister are Ousmane Sow and Bouhacar Signine, and both men have only praise for the Turkish Yavuz Selim education organization, which works in Senegal providing important education services to youth.

They prepared their homes as though expecting visitors from heaven

The fact that the annual Turkish Olympiad turned into the Language and Culture Festival this year, and that it took place in Germany, no doubt made Turkish citizens living in Germany the happiest of all.

'It is a great loss that Turkish Olympiads were not held in Turkey'

The efforts of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) municipalities and districts to ensure that the Turkish Olympiads were not held in Turkey this year led to some strong reaction.

They came from all over the world and raised the esteem in Germany

The International Language and Culture Festival's closing ceremonies, which took place at the 12,500-person-capacity ISS Dome in the German city of Düsseldorf, sent out messages of peace that are still reverberating.

'We wish we had spoken Turkish in its motherland'

It was the students who were most saddened by the fact that this year's 12th Turkish Olympiad was forced to move abroad due to the lack of venues allocated to the competition.

Officer targeted by gov't witch-hunt commits suicide

A witch-hunt launched by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government in response to corruption allegations targeting Prime Ministers Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's inner circle has cost the life of one police officer, according to his family.

Kimse Yok Mu begins to deliver food packages during Ramadan

With the arrival of holy month of Ramadan, international charity organization began to extend hand to economically disadvantaged people.

Bal asks whether Erdoğan is trying to suppress religious communities

Former Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy İdris Bal submitted a parliamentary question to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday, asking whether Erdoğan regards himself the Caliph of the Muslim world and whether the prime minister is trying to suppress religious communities in Turkey.

İstanbul Municipality continues signboard discrimination

The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which recently removed the signboards of a building that is home to the officers of the FEM and Anafen prep schools, which are affiliated with a faith-based movement Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is not fond of, has not removed any other buildings' signboards in the same area, manifesting its continued discrimination against opposition.

Playing with the military as a tool for political gains

Lale Kemal

The Turkish government's massive ongoing purge within state institutions knows no boundaries as it has allegedly spread to the military.

Crime and punishment

Ekrem Dumanlı

Former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin, who submitted a parliamentary question to be answered by Interior Minister Efkan Ala about a multifaceted government plan to “finish off Hizmet," will certainly have an impact on history. It has been seen that the government is manufacturing false crimes against one particular segment of the society in order to oppress them. Why? Because the immoral and irrational accusation of this group being a parallel state, an illegal organization and a criminal gang have been proven false. The government mobilized all its resources and orchestrated unimaginable scenarios, but could not find anything illegal to use against the Hizmet movement. Because there are none to be found; the Hizmet Movement does not engage in illegal activities. Now, they are destroying the legal system in order to create the legal framework for an illegal investigation of the Hizmet Movement. But the investigation, launched seven months after the major corruption probe that was made public on Dec.17, 2013, will have no real legal basis. If there were a crime, those who have been voicing the “parallel structure” lies would have found evidence of this crime. They could not find anything, despite the appointment of new judges and prosecutors who promised to commit illegal acts to hurt members of the Hizmet movement.

Prep school students dominate LYS university entrance exam

Students at prep schools (dershanes) -- privately owned university preparatory institutions that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is seeking to close down -- dominated the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS) university admission exam whose results were announced on Saturday night.

Students bid farewell with hopes of meeting next year

There was a flood of tears after the closing ceremonies held in the 12,500-person-capacity ISS Dome in Dusseldorf. Hugging fiercely, students comforted one another with the words, “See you next year.”

Başakşehir Municipality removes Fatih College's advertising

Despite growing reaction to the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's removal of signs from the Fem prep school in İstanbul's Mecidiyeköy district last week, the Başakşehir Municipality has taken similar action and ordered the removal of billboard advertising featuring the success of Fatih College students on the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS) and in the Turkish Olympiad.

BBP leader: Anti-Hizmet plot recalls practices of Feb. 28

Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici has likened an alleged secret plot devised by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government against members of the faith-based Hizmet movement to the practices of the Feb. 28, 1997 military coup when there was immense pressure on pious people in the country.

TSK strongly denies Akşam's report on 'parallel' pashas

In a move to foil attempts aimed at dragging the Turkish military into politics, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has strongly denied a news report published in the pro-government Akşam daily on Friday claiming that there are 40 senior military officers who are linked with the so-called “parallel structure.”

Bank Asya's corporate governance rating increases

Bank Asya, a leading Turkish financial institution, announced on Sunday that their corporate governance rating had increased in June over its score from last year.