Islamic scholar Gülen rebukes ISIL over 'brutal atrocities'

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly condemned a campaign of violence undertaken by the self-proclaimed Islamic State, sending his condolences to its victims as well as the slain American journalist.

Sakarya court orders stay of execution on closure of Fatih Koleji

The Sakarya Administrative Court on Friday issued a stay of execution on the closure decision for Fatih Koleji, a Hizmet-affiliated school that has been running in the Beyköy district of Düzce province, saying that the school is allowed to continue to operate in the 2014-2015 education period.

Fatih grads to sue İstanbul University for discrimination

A number of Fatih University graduates are preparing to file a law suit against İstanbul University administration, claiming that their applications for post-graduate programs have been rejected for discriminatory reasons.

Who wiretapped Turkey?

Abdülhamit Bilici

The exposure of the fact that German intelligence has been spying on Turkey for the last five years has surprised many, sparking heated discussions about this illegal eavesdropping.

Ministry of Education blocks access to samanyoluhaber.com

The Ministry of Education has blocked access to samanyoluhaber.com, a news website affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement, at institutions and organizations that are linked to the ministry.

Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs holds talks with TUSKON delegation

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom held talks Thursday with the representatives of TUSKON, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists.

Fatih graduates receive Feb. 28-like treatment at İstanbul University

Some graduates of the İstanbul-based Fatih University, affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement, have become the latest victims of the battle launched by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government against the movement, as they have been subjected to apparent discrimination during post-graduate interviews at state-run İstanbul University, reminiscent of the days of the Feb. 28 military coup.

Jamaican minister feeding the needy

The humanitarian relief organization Kimse Yok Mu Foundation extended a helping hand to the needy in the Central American country Jamaica. The donations arrived in the country located in the Caribbean Sea after a long flight from Turkey. The aid distribution saw the participation of numerous Jamaican authorities including the country’s minister for education Ronald Thwaites along with his advisers and deputies, local authorities and volunteers. The minister Thwaites in person served the food to the poor.

Kimse Yok Mu delivers humanitarian assistance to Yazidis, Turkmens

Kimse Yok Mu, one of the largest charity organizations in Turkey, has sent humanitarian assistance worth nearly TL 2 million collected by volunteers to help Turkmens and Yazidis escaping Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) forces in Iraq.

Erdoğan gov't expands ban on media coverage for public event

Independent and critical media outlets in Turkey -- including Zaman, the country's highest-circulation newspaper, and Cihan, the country's largest private news agency -- were denied accreditation to cover the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) extraordinary congress slated for Aug. 27.

Journalists and Writers Foundation in Rwanda for Global Peacemakers Conference

“Global Peacemakers Conference” took place in the Rwandan capital city Kigali, August 7-8, 2014. Turkey’s Journalists and Writers Foundation, the sole participant from outside Africa, attended the event having attracted a large number of academics, religious figures and NGO officials from across the continent.

Erdogan, not religion, divides Turkey

Mustafa Akyol

In the last decade, many observers of Turkey underlined the division between secular and religious Turks as the main fault line in politics. Accordingly, the more secular, Westernized Turks were represented by the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) represented the more religious, conservative folks. Some bones of contention between the two sides, such as the longtime ban on the Islamic headscarf in state institutions, were also reflective of this “culture war.”

'Separation of powers and free press are essential for efficient and fair democracy'

Fikir Atlasi*, Episode 4 (Full text)

Elizabeth Munisoglu, J.D.

My name is Elizabeth Munisoglu**.

I have an interesting background and I think I have to tell you all of it so you understand the point of view that I will express.

Importance of Strong Cultural Foundations

One recurring theme in Fethullah Gulen’s writings is the problem of cultural identity, which is how the individual relates to his cultural and civilizational heritage. Culture is seen as very important since it is an encompassing environment where each individual member of the society is affected willingly or unwillingly. Thus the issue of discovering the roots of our cultural identity and staying true to it becomes fundamental to continuation of our civilization.

Gülen slams pro-gov't media for disseminating lies and blasphemy

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen criticized on Monday the pro-government media in Turkey for spinning the truth and disseminating lies while trying to justify senior officials' blasphemous remarks.

What happened to getting permission from the authorities?

Özgür Küçük

The Mavi Marmara set sail for Gaza in 2010. Bülent Yıldırım, president of the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH), association that organized the trip, said the goal was to set the agenda. But before the ship could reach Gaza, Israel raided it and killed eights Turks and one Turkish-American.

Former SPK head laments ‘unusual' gov't pressure

Ongoing government pressure on independent institutions and private companies has reached worrisome levels of despotism that markets have not seen for 30 years, former head of Turkey's primary financial regulatory agency has told Today's Zaman.

Cihan reported election results accurately despite cyber attacks

The Cihan news agency, which is both domestically and internationally renowned for its successful election coverage over the past 12 years, was able to deliver the most accurate results from polling stations during the Aug. 10 presidential election, despite experiencing a number of cyber attacks.

Back to the witch hunt

Mümtazer Türköne

Prime Minister and President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's balcony speech increased expectations that a new starting point both for himself and for the government would be established. Only three days were enough to smash this expectation to pieces. Erdoğan is making arrangements to ensure that he leaves behind a smoothly operating government which will have full obedience to him and will not cause him much nuisance. To do this, he uses the best method he knows: maintaining the witch hunt.

Report: Religious communities wiretapped by AK Party government

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government reportedly ordered the wiretapping of all religious groups in Turkey: the İsmailağa community led by Mahmut Ustaosmanoğlu, the Süleymancılar community led by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, the Nur movement, the Nakşi movement, and the Kadiri movement, as well as the Hizmet movement, a faith-based civil society initiative intensely disliked by President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Deceased Mongolian teacher becomes Twitter trending topic

Mongolian teacher Galimbek Sharivkhan, who died in a car accident in South Africa on Saturday, has become a trending topic on Twitter with the hashtag #MoğolistanınAdemTatlısı (Mongolia's Adem Tatlı) making the social networking site's trending topics lists for the world and Turkey on Saturday night.

Turkish gov't attempt to sink bank betrays markets

An alleged government plan to force the closure of a Turkish participation bank as part of ongoing political pressure against the Hizmet movement is tantamount to betraying the country and, thus, jeopardizes overall economic stability, market experts argue.

Gov't persecution of businesses bodes ill for overall economy

The Finance Ministry's profiling of 100,000 companies owned by businessmen with affiliations to the Hizmet movement was one of the hottest debate topics last month, and the latest remarks from Confederation of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSKON) Chairman Rızanur Meral revealed that the profiling has been followed by persecution.

'Real parallel structure infiltrating government is Tawhid-Selam'

The Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2013 government corruption operations were used as a pretext for a massive purge of the National Police Department, and the purge lists had been prepared in advance by Iranian-backed terror group Tawhid-Selam, according to former Hakkari province Police Chief Tufan Ergüder.

President-elect breaks victory speech promise

Turkey's much-anticipated presidential election on Aug. 10 resulted in the victory of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who managed to defeat his close rival Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party's (HDP) candidate Selahattin Demirtaş in the first round. With the 51.8 percent of the votes, Erdoğan has become the president, though he had expected to garner nearer 60 percent, as the opinion polls predicted ahead of the election.

Erdoğan brought censorship, chilling effects on journalism

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is preparing to assume the office of president on Aug. 28 following his election to the state's top post on Aug. 10, has left a legacy on journalism which is filled with confrontation and rebuke of journalists, attempts at censorship, prosecution and even deportation of critical journalists.

Galaxy educates thinkers, innovators

Galaxy International School Uganda (GISU) is a co-educational school in Lubowa, 10 kilometres from Kampala, on the Kampala-Entebbe Road. The school now has a new branch in Jinja on the Walukuba/Scott Road near Nile International Hospital. The school provides international education to students between two and 19 years of age using a student-centered curriculum.

Keeping silent about the 'parallel' thesis

Herkül Millas

I carefully read and listen to the arguments made by those who are against the "parallel state," trying to understand what they are advocating.

Erdoğan returns to hate speech, drops pledge to ‘embrace all'

Only four days after he promised to embrace all 77 million citizens of the nation in his victory speech, president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has quickly returned to his hateful rhetoric, again bashing journalists, the judiciary and members of civil society groups that are critical of his divisive discourse and discriminatory policies.

Trading of Bank Asya shares blocked indefinitely

İstanbul's stock exchange has indefinitely extended the suspension of trade for Islamic lender Bank Asya, according to reports on Thursday.

Prep schools to continue their educational programs

Representatives of the Union of Private Preparatory Schools (ÖZDEBİR), Güven Preparatory Schools Owners Association (GÜVENDER), the All Private Schools Association (TÖDER) and the Private Education Association (ÖZDER) have issued a joint statement saying that their prep schools (dershanes), which have played an important role in the Turkish education system for the past 30 years, will start their educational programs as usual on Aug 26, despite a new law that orders the closure of the prep schools by September 2015 and the fining of any that continue to operate.

Kimse Yok Mu donation booth for Gaza

Kimse Yok Mu Foundation’s Kahramanmaras chapter (an southeastern Turkish province) has taken yet another action to extend a hand to Palestine. Its volunteers have set a donation booth for Gaza people going through extremely hard times due to the Israel attacks since the month of Ramadan. They will send the donations to Palestine right away.

Kimse Yok Mu water well for Cameroon

Board members of Kimse Yok Mu Foundation’s Sanliurfa chapter (an Eastern Turkish province) recently established a water well in Cameroon. The water well has been now serving some 700 locals. The board members established the water well in Kodogo city by raising 4 thousand dollars. The chairman Mehmet Akan Isikyildiz said, “We usually encourage people to donate. But we should do it ourselves first so that we can expect people to do the same. Every member contributed to the water well construction within their budgets and thus made it possible for the locals to drink clean water. I would like to thank them all.”

Another Hizmet-affiliated school targeted by AK Party in Antalya

The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality City Council decided on Tuesday to change the structural plan of a Hizmet-affiliated school that has been operating in the Muratpaşa district of Antalya since 1996, canceling its registration and paving the way for the destruction of the building that houses the school.

Ziraat, other likely suitors for Bank Asya

State-run Ziraat Bankası and other lenders are interested in acquiring Bank Asya, the bank's CEO Ahmet Beyaz said on Wednesday, without giving further details.

KADİP holds International Panel for Sharing Coexistence Experience in Korea

The International Panel for Sharing Coexistence Experience brought together the representatives of the religions in South Korea and the religious groups in Turkey in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Police report accuses Gülen based on fabricated ‘gov't media' stories

According to a story reported by the news portal Rota Haber, the National Police Department drafted a secret report in June 2014 mostly based on stories in pro-government media which claim that the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen is the leader of a terrorist organization and is responsible for the wiretapping of a classified meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

Bank Asya shares results amid gov't pressure

Turkish Islamic lender Bank Asya posted a net profit of TL 51.4 million in the January-June period of this year, which was 48.8 percent lower year-on-year.

'I'm ready to serve many years in prison if what I did was illegal'

Yakub Saygılı, a former police chief who was purged following the Dec. 17 and 25 corruption probes, says he is confident that his team had not engaged in illegal operations as alleged by the government.

'Hizmet will continue its mission regardless of attacks'

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who, along with the faith-based Hizmet movement, has been subjected to numerous attacks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said the movement will continue to perform its mission regardless of circumstances.

President Erdoğan and the new Turkey

Robert Ellis*

After an unpleasant electoral campaign, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has succeeded in becoming Turkey's 12th president with almost 52 percent of the votes in the first round held on Aug. 10. A referendum in 2007 made it possible for the first time to elect the president with a direct vote.

Erdoğan's presidency to stir more controversy

Abdullah Bozkurt

The election of divisive politician Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as president of Turkey in Sunday's election with a slim margin above the required majority is a harbinger of a new era where constitutional, political and social crises loom large on the horizon.

Bolu municipality builds road inside Fatih College's garden

The Bolu Municipality, having previously closed down two schools belonging to businesspeople affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement in early July, has now constructed a road inside the garden of Fatih College despite the fact that the school is surrounded by empty plots of land and no residential area exists around the school.

Government's Bank Asya operation brought to parliamentary agenda

Reactions are snowballing against the government's operation to force the closure of the participation bank Bank Asya as part of its fight against the Hizmet movement, with the matter brought to Parliament's agenda in the form of a parliamentary question from the Republican People's Party (CHP).

Man killed in Yalova over sympathy for Hizmet movement

A 35-year-old man has been killed in Yalova province by a drug addict on the grounds that the victim was a follower of the faith-based Hizmet movement, against which the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared battle since last year, and because he was a critic of Erdoğan.

The Most Recent Reviver in the ‘Ulama Tradition: The Intellectual ‘Alim, Fethullah Gülen

Ali Bulaç*

In the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Islamic world underwent a deep crisis and two approaches emerged to offer potential solutions. One of these places emphasis on the state and politics and is committed to building a new society and political entity. The other is based upon social reform and intellectual transformation. The key words for the first perspective are politics and the state, whereas education and spiritual improvement are the key terms for the latter.

Erdoğan betrayed will of 58 percent, professor says

Professor Mustafa Erdoğan, an expert on constitutional law and political science, has said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government have betrayed the will and support of the 58 percent of the nation who supported the government-sponsored constitutional reforms put to a public referendum in 2010.

Hizmet and self-criticism

İhsan Yılmaz

Fethullah Gülen stated a few days ago that he made a mistake by supporting the Justice and Development Party (AKP) during the 2010 referendum campaign. Even though, as of today, I do not think that supporting the constitutional amendment package was wrong in itself, it seems that this package has paved the way for the AKP's growing semi-despotism.

Are you waiting for gas chambers?

Abdülhamit Bilici

"We will clear Hendek of these people. Not a single member of the 'parallel structure' will be allowed to live in Hendek. It is not possible for them to stay here and continue their lives as if nothing has happened.

Bank Asya stands firm as gov't pressure intensifies

A fresh debate sparked by a senior government official regarding alleged talks about handing the leading Turkish Islamic lender Bank Asya to a public bank on Wednesday will not change the bank's plans to continue its growth as a privately owned lender, sources familiar with the issue said on Thursday.

Opposition: Erdoğan violated law protecting lenders

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's open targeting of private Islamic lender Bank Asya is a clear violation of a law regulating and protecting financial institutions, and the prime minister should be held accountable for this, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said on Friday.

2 men sentenced to 24 days in prison for burning Zaman daily

The Ankara 16th Criminal Court of First Instance recently ruled that two men who burned some copies of the Zaman daily belonging to a citizen in Ankara, after they stole the newspapers from the Zaman subscriber's mailbox, be sentenced to 24 days in prison and pay a fine of TL 833 each.

Gülen calls for support to a candidate with true integrity

Commenting on the upcoming presidential elections on Sunday, Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has urged Turks not to cast their vote for a candidate who oppresses citizens, does injustice to them and disregards the rule of law.

Yeni Akit labels staunchly secular daily ‘parallel'

The pro-government Yeni Akit daily knows no limits in labeling people or organizations as “parallel,” meaning affiliated with the Hizmet movement, as the daily in its Thursday edition questioned whether the staunchly secular Cumhuriyet daily was purchased by the “parallel structure.”

Gov't says public bank mulls purchasing Bank Asya

Turkish deputy prime minister has said public bank Ziraat is considering to purchase Turkey's tenth biggest private bank in a move many interpreted as the authorities' latest salvo to crush the financial institution due to its links to the Gülen movement.