Kurdistan Observer, MI
Jan 19 2005
Fethullah Gulen: Turkey, Terror, and Racism
By: Amed Demirhan
Jan 19, 2005
Mr. Fethullah Gulen is a very interesting and powerful personality in
Turkey. He has about five-six million followers and commands billions
of dollars in Turkey and abroad. His followers’ control major news
media, as well as schools and universities in many countries,
including in the USA. However, in last few years the Turkish military
has become uncomfortable with his growing power especially with his
influence in the police force and police intelligence organizations,
therefore he had to move to the USA in unofficial exile. Mr. Gulen
has been presented as a tolerant, moderate, enlightened religious
leader and involved in interfaith dialog, and a peaceful person.
Nevertheless, his recent speeches are totally contradictory of this
image, and one wonders if Mr. Gulen is showing his true face with his
new remarks: racism, Xenophobia and anti-Semitism? If it is so, it’s
very disappointing, but he is not alone with this type of remarks.
In November 18, 2004 Mr. Gulen warned Turkey that “some foreign
Intelligence organizations are preparing to turn Turkey in to a
bloodbath. ‘From now on mystery killings could occur.'”[1] This so
called “mystery killing in Turkey”, in 1990s about 20,000 citizens of
Turkey, predominantly Kurds and some high ranking Turks and well
known intellectuals, lost their lives and the murderer went free. Mr.
Gulen went on claiming, `In last 300 years some secret organizations
have been controlling this nation.” This is clearly a reference to
“Shabbetai sect.” The followers of Shabbetai Zevi (1625 – 1676) who
were converted to Islam, by force of Sultan, from Judaism in late
1600s. However, some anti-Semitic groups claim this sect still
practices Judaism in secret and never became Turk and Muslim and they
are controlling the Turkish state and they have been the source of
Turkish problem in last 300 years. In last two years Shabbetains
become the target of many political groups in Turkey from old school
Marxist to variety of Islamist, because of their Jewish ancestry.
Mr. Gulen not only warned the nation against foreign conspiracy and
their fifth column in Turkey; he claimed: “If Turkish Intelligent
Service (MIT), Police Force, and JITEM (Turkish Gendarmeries
Intelligence Service) collaborates together they will over come these
plots against Turkey.” (HaberX 11/18/2004). It is very interesting
that he names Gendarmeries Intelligence Service (JITEM) because this
organization had been premier responsible for not so mysterious
“mystery killing” in Turkey and protector and trainer of the Turkish
Hizbullah which had been responsible for major terrorist attacks
against Kurds, bombing Jewish and British targets in Istanbul, and
many more.
I am not the only one who says JITEM has been primarily responsible
for the mystery killings and founder and supporter terrorist Turkish
Hizbullah organization, among many others the well known
Turkish journalist, writer, and politician Ms. Nazli Ilicak[2] has
been writing about that for many years like me. In addition, many
international observers, organizations, and the USA state
department’s human right reports have pointed out these
relationships. It is a well-known fact by observers and researchers
about Turkey.
Mr. Gulen in a later interview with Turkish Daily Milliyet, and
later published in his own web page, made some racist remarks about
Kurdish intellectuals and politicians and demanded Ms. Leyla Zana,
long time jailed Kurdish parliamentarian, apologize to the state for
“making a mistake by signing a declaration for Kurdish human rights”
(1/14/05).[3] In the same interview he claimed, “The trouble makers
are not more than 500 people in South East” (Meaning Kurdistan). A
euphemism for Kurdish patriots and human right activists, but most
observers of Turkey could easily testify that Mr. Gulens’ statements
are baseless. The pro-Kurdish parties, despite all restrictions and
government threats, get more than one million votes and it is the
dominant party in Kurdistan area. One wonders why such knowledgeable
and well informed person is making these kinds of statements? Mr.
Gulen had been a student of a Kurdish thinker and philosopher
Said-eKurdi (Later called Said-e Nursi) for years, but still this
doesn’t hinder him from racism.
Recently Dogu Perincek in his weekly journal “Aydinlik” claimed that
the Worker Party of Kurdistan (PKK)/Kurdish Peoples Congress (Kongra
Gel) will create provocations and terror on behalf of the USA[4].
Interestingly, Mr. Perincek used to closely cooperate with PKK during
the most intense civil war in Turkey in 1991 – 1993. Later he claimed
he was with PKK on behalf of Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and he is
closely related to TAF, even though he was a Maoist and now a
Kemalist. The head of Nationalist Movement Party (NMP- in Turkish
MHP) and former Vice Prime Minister, Mr. Devlet, Bahceli in 1/15/05
issued a warning to Greek and Armenia Orthodox Christians in
Istanbul, if they continue practice certain religious traditions,
they will be target of the nationalist (Ulkucu). Mr. Bahceli’s party
is infamous for its terrorist past in Turkey, and even by many Turks
it’s considered a fascist party, but this
movement, too, has been related to TAF. At least one Turkish
Journalist Mr. Ismet Berkan in daily newspaper `Radikal’ reacted to
Mr. Bahceli’s treat. Mr. Berkan stated: `Is Bahceli want terror?’ And
he thinks Mr. Bahceli want terror.[5]
What make these peoples statements important? On the surface they are
representing different ideologies, but all three of them, Mr. Gulen,
Mr. Perincek, and Mr. Bahceli, are connected with different branches
of the military and police, and their targets are Kurds, Armenians,
Jews, Greeks, and of course foreign conspirators (America and
Israel). Clearly they are preparing the ground for terror, especially
with Mr. Gulen calling JITEM for duty, this is a call for civil war
and not so mysterious “mystery killings”.
Why do they want to create terror in Turkey if they are related to
the state? Historically, whenever civilian government and civil
society gets strong in Turkey, terrorism and anarchy increases. Guess
what? Then people need liberators to protect them from the terror and
TAF is ready to take over directly or indirectly in order to protect
the “nation”. Therefore, this author has been saying time and again
that everyone who believes and want to transform Turkey into a
pluralistic Federal Western style democracy should strongly and
unconditionally be opposed to every kind of violence and terror in
Turkey.
Amed Demirhan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress